Year Six: Justice League War Rework I

11th of May 2017. The Vangelion project has successfully been implemented into the city. It took like four months because we had to wait to build them all, plus having trial runs to prove their value, etc… All in all, it was worth it. 

Twelve major drug operations have been busted since the launch of the project. Five murderers were identified and captured. 

Five bank robberies were halted and so many lives were saved.

Crime is down by eighty percent.

To stop judges from working in favor of the crime lords we caught, I simply paid them more then whatever the criminals offered, effectively countering a lot of corruption.

Some drones were used in construction efforts, increasing the efficiency of the workers by 300%. With their incredible carry capacity and ability for flight, we've started a side business partnering up with various delivery companies. That's just another steady source of income we can enjoy.

We've been cleaning the streets, clearing disposable trash and throwing it into literal space... So much more too!

Now of course, there's the little problem known as 'the people.' Understandably, they worry with such drastic changes coming to their daily lives. So, we've had to do a lot of communications with the people of Bluhaven, get them used to the new improvements. And luckily, the test runs earlier in the year were enough to convince most normal people to accept the Vangelions with nothing more than mild worry.

Some still preach my evil and despise me but they aren't a theat yet.

But all isn't perfect… Well, it is, but I'm a little paranoid. I've been afraid something might go wrong for a while even if everything seems fine. Even Nightwing got used to the idea of getting help from time to time through one or more of my drones. And though he doesn't love them, he still cannot deny their competence.

I spend most of my time in our new lab… or in the sky. I went on the moon once and came back with loads or moon rocks, just cuz I could. It wasn't easy to get the armor polished to that level but, we managed to do it in the end.

On other news, I have regular dinners once every two weeks with the Verus Ordo. It's pretty entertaining. These big wigs can be a little arrogant when it comes to how they look upon the common people but, I've got centuries to teach them better.

There's also all the damn questions they ask. It is quite funny to make up for myself an outlandish backstory. I even told them I use to live when cave men were still a thing and now they believe I do! I know, I've stolen Vandal Savage's whole thing but, I couldn't help it...

So now what's next? What have I planned to keep the momentum of Plan C's incredible success? Simple. I won't say everything I have planned but I will give you a peek at where we'll eventually get.

Asteroid mining. 

Yes, you read that right.

I'll make a space program. Secretly of course. We'll use gravity tech to reach into the stars, get as much resources as we could ever want… Break the world economy and build better tech, better buildings, better drones and armors… A better Bludhaven, which I hope to soon rename.

Right now, my tech is not the best there is. Sure, the triad of minds, as we now call them, are like nothing else on earth. Not quantum yet but that's a soon to come upgrade. It's so good to listen to them talk and reflect like real people. And I intend to make them real. Someday, I'll give them souls. Even if I have to steal them.

But even still, we're nothing compared to someone like Brainiac.

While thinkering on a new tool, I heard someone land to the ground. If Actuator didn't activate the defense drone of the lab, then my guest must not be a big threat. One step at a time, they are walking closer and closer to me. I turn around to see the one and only Wonder boy.

"Are you serious? You wear a mask even out of your armor?" He asked, looking around the lab. 

A young man dressed in sleak black armor lined with deep blue accents and an odd shaoe on his chest. His mask did little to hid his sharp young traits under the light of the room.

That… was unexpected. Nightwing? Man, he looks so much cooler in the flesh. That Arkham style really is the best he's looked.

He probably put one or two mics and cameras around already. I'd be surprised if he hadn't. Doesn't matter though…

"What do you want exactly, Nightwing? I'm not in a mood to play games."

"That's great because I don't feel like playing around either. I want to understand exactly what it is you want. What's your endgame? You can't just be doing this for the people. Not with all the shady stuff happening behind the scenes."

Wow, he sniffed around my business. Bastard.

"I've looked around, Neo Mundus. I've investigated everyone around you, everyone that works with or for you. And I couldn't find anything. Yet I know you work with people who aquired their wealth through illegal means. I don't believe for a second you didn't or wouldn't do the same."

"What I want is exactly what I appear to want." I said. I'm not exactly sure how to respond to him. But I can avoid escalation by remaining calm and civil...

Nightwing scoffed, he was clearly still looking around to find anything suspicious about me.

"Oh really? And what if I said you appear to want to take control of the city and turn it into some kind of… Police state?"

It would be meaningless to lie about it.

"You would be correct. The mayor is under my power. I am a dictator. I do not intend to step down… Ever. In fact, some might say not even death would force me to give up my throne."

"Yeah, right."

"I'm not going to hide it. But do not be mistaken. I also want to help people. Otherwise I wouldn't put so much money and time into bettering this city."

I can't accept being a simple dude when I could realistically ryke the world.

"I don't trust you, Neo…"

"And you don't have to. But you can't stop me either. Not until I actually do something wrong."

"And let me guess. It will be too late by then?"

How am I already so hated by one of my favorite characters in DC?! Come on, Dick, chill out! I'm not a nazi.

"It won't be too late. Because I won't do anything wrong."

I grabbed a box in a drawer, small enough to fit inside a pocket. I've been waiting to give that thing to him for weeks.

"A gift for you. You might not believe it but… Even if I disagree on the no killing rule, I still am a fan of you vigilante types, Nightwing. I wish you and all those around you all the best in the world."

The writers hated you like marvel hates Peter Parker. The least I can do is offer you that.

He hesitated before opening the box.

"Gravitational Staff." I explained. "Naturally light and resistant, it can also be split in two. Whenever needed, press any of the buttons to change the weight of the edges according to the numbers upon them and use the blue one to miniaturize it and grow it. It's not bugged either, I don't care where you go or who you are behind the mask."

Since I already know.

He pressed and it suddenly grew to its full length.

"It is pretty cool… but even with this, I'm still keeping an eye on you."

"You can also use it to fly and only need to leave it on the ground for it to recharge… though you do need AA batteries for the electricity needing parts..."

He laughed. "Alright, thanks… That is really cool but that doesn't make us friends, okay?"

I nodded and smiled. Well, I am wearing a mask but, it's the thought that counts, right? I mean come on, I won't drop my character just to smile. You gotta be committed to the role until you become the role.

When he was gone, I sighed. Trying not to be a fanboy was hard. How am I going to survive meeting Batman? Especially considering he probably loathes what I'm doing too?

Presence damn. 

...

The more I die, the weirder my relationship with the Deep Black becomes. If you recall, for a while now, I've been feeling some odd thing in there. It doesn't even do anything. It just seems to move further or closer away with no logic.

Ive been experimenting every few day by dying over and over again. Whatever that presence is, if it's someone stuck, I'd like to help them...

Talking about death, It has been a long time since I've seen D. She said she would try to make time but clearly, I must be messing hard with her work...

I'm not too sure how to call her but, my best bet would be dying again, I guess… Meh, one more trip to the Deep Black can't hurt.

And one pill later, there I was back again.

The darkness was all encompassing. No cold or warmth, no sounds or movements, the pure stillness of death, the eternal rest not so eternal… And again I felt something. A presence.

Something was touching me. I don't know how or what, not even where exactly but… It very much was.

It was latched on to me and I was glad to see it seemed unharmful.

When I felt the warmth and pull, I opened my eyes to a horrific scene.

Something was coming out of my mouth, black as night and covered in mouths. Like a shoggoth.

It was excruciatingly painful, I felt like I was burning from the insides.

The thing laid before me for a while before launching itself at me.

And I screamed like a little girl! 

The boys came in and started shooting at the thing, diverting its attention to them. From the sides of the room, a drone activated, aiming a large weapon towards the damn thing, blasting a subzero ray so cold that It froze solid the creature faster than the blink of an eye.

I took leverage off of a nearby desk for a while to catch my breath. In a moment, I saw my life flash before my eyes and I feared death again once more.

"Thanks Actuator." I was gasping for air and fell to my knees.

A voice from the speakers answered.

"You're welcome."

What in the name of God was that?! What the fuck? How the fuck? Why the fuck?

Stupid god damn powers. You were perfect, you had nearly no flaws, you were perfectly OP and now you choose to spice things up? Who asked for this? It sure as hell wasn't me!

Was it you? If it was, I'll find you. Conflict is not whaty story needs! It needs more good things, happiness and love, not good writing!

Eventually, I calmed down and came up with something to do about... It. We moved the thing to a warehouse. We couldn't risk trying anything to sample it. Out of fear it was still alive, we'd have to keep it cold…

Genna asked about it but I refused to answer. Not yet.

So there I was, looking at the frozen statue of... something. Something that came out of me and that made me realize that I'm far, very far from being safe yet.

"So, what did you do this time?"

And there she was. Death. After something like that, I'd be surprised if she hadn't shown up. Maybe she knows something. Hopefully.

"I hoped you would have an explanation…" I said. My eyes were stil fixed on the frozen thing. Strangely, it felt like the moment I'd look away, it would attack me. The air of dread that it emanated was nearly tangible, I swear.

Death came closer and looked at it with an intrigued gaze.

"It's like you." She then delcared, leaving me confused. "It came into existence out of nothing, at least from my perspective… It's made of darkness."

Of course it is.

"Whenever I die, I end up in a place I call the Deep Black. I can't see or touch or move until I'm out."

Death seemed confused. Meaning she knew nothing about it.

"Some souls in certain circumstances end up in places that fit that description… but none are inhabited by anything like that, like either of you."

Fucking hell. Here I am, scared of dying again…

"I already asked Destiny about it. It's not in the book. But unlike you, its actions don't affect the destinies of others... In fact, not even your changes to other people's destinies register. We think you two might have broken it..."

That seems very bad… 

"I'm sure someone or something sent it after me… no, it wanted to use me to get in this world."

She sighed.

"Avoid dying again. I don't know what that thing is but if it's anything like you yet evil… it scares me…"

And then she vanished again.

So what do I do with it? No way I'm leaving this on earth.

I'll fly it to the moon and leave it there. Unless it can fly, we'll be safe.

But there is a good news. She implied that I'm not evil! I knew it. Now all that's left is proving that I'm not misguided.

In March, we launched our line of electronics, years in advance to what the competition has to offer. Just as an example, we've already sold out on our Holophones.

People have kept on crying the death of Batman for months since Scarecrow's attack. Yeah, obviously he's still alive.

People only started realizing recently though. As in the Arkham canon, he uses fear toxin now. Crime in Gotham has never been lower.

Now Reverse Flash is a thing. Appeared on TV a while back, only to get his ass kicked and sent to prison.

Meta inhibitors are a thing now so, thanks S. A. R. Labs.

Also, Luthor has contacted me once or twice now but I've ignored him. I just don't know how to deal with the guy or what to ask in exchange for my tech.

Plus, he's so smart he'd probably figure out how average I actually am. I need to become a better actor first.

Fake it till you make it… How many times have I said this?

...

I often fly over Gotham. Sometimes I help around. And what do I see but a very familiar scene. Batman fighting against a Parademon.

So this is it. This is tonight.

I simply blasted the thing with anti Gravitons as I flew down besides the MAN. The MYTH. And also the LEGEND. Batman.

I have to make a badass introduction, make sure to not sound stupid.

But before I could even say something, BANG. A large green bullet. An explosion of gore.

"You're welcome! Green Lantern, at your service."

You son of a…

"You absolute Imbecile!" I couldn't help myself.

"Wow. What a way to thank me."

Batman was already approaching the creature. 

"No. He's right. We could have interrogated it."

"Are you serious? You're gonna side with mister dictator here?!"

… What?

Batman ignored him and walked towards the edge with the box in his hands.

"What are you two doing here? Gotham is my city."

"Drop that thing right now. It's a bomb."

"How do you know that?" Lantern asked.

Bullshiting time.

"It was clearly trying to attach it. Since this is less than a strategic position, either it simply sought to create chaos or it's more powerful than it looks."

A helicopter approached the roof. Batman motioned to follow him.

And into the sewers of old Gotham we went.

"So we've got Levitation Mundus and Bruce Wayne. What even is your power? Do you like… turn to mist? Burn in the sun?"

"No."

"... You've got to be shitting me… so you fought an entire army with nothing but your tech?"

"I had friends."

"Who? Your butler?"

Damn. I'm already feeling left out. Things are so different yet so similar to the movie…

"Enough of this. We need to figure out where this is from and what to do with it."

Lantern floated ahead in front of us. 

"No problem for this ring. Ring, identify the object."

And as usual, nothing at all.

"Impossible…" he said. "The ring knows all of what the Guardians do and the Guardians know everything…"

"Then we might have to go ask another alien…"

"Superman?" Who else? I already know the story.

"Yes… Him."

And there we go. Member one, two and soon, number three.

It's gonna be so weird having to do all this in cities so dramatically different from the movies.

Lantern flew by himself but I just levitated Batman besides me. I'm so looking forward to seeing Arkham Batman combo the shit out of some Parademons. Seeing the freeze grenade and the shock gun in action…

Plus, realistically, Arkham Batman is the most physically powerful normal Batman I know of.

"There we are. I've tracked his flight patterns here."

This time, Hal didn't get the chance to say anything, Superman flying nearby and blowing up a Parademon cut him off.

"Alright, stand back, let me deal with this…"

"Fool, we need a plan."

And suddenly, a shield of green light covered Batman and I.

"I give him thirty seconds tops." I sighed.

Explosions, Flashes of lights, thirty seconds later, Hal went crashing into us. Good thing I simply blasted him with negative gravitons, inverting his velocity in the direction from which he came.

Superman came forth and punched into Batman. I still remember how this goes.

But to my surprise, Superman quickly stopped himself.

"Bruce Wayne. Aka, Batman. I'm having a hard time believing you're here to help that… thing."

Oh yeah. Arkham plus CW plus DCAMU. Things change a lot sometimes.

"We think it's alien." He raised the box into view as Superman let go of him.

"Certainly not Kryptonian."

"Worth the shot."

Green Lantern came floating over, a little dazed.

"Wait, we aren't fighting anymore?"

"No." I answered. "Even if you don't know what it is, Superman, we could still use your help."

"The problem is figuring out exactly what kind of threat we're facing. We already know that they've been kidnapping people."

"People have been disappearing in Metropolis here too, you think there's a connection?" Superman asked

"But why?" Green Lantern wondered.

"The boxes… that remind me of a tech I myself have helped create. Let me take a look."

Of course, the moment I touched it, it started glowing bright white.

"I can't believe my luck."

I threw it as far as I could up in the air and then… BOOM! Tube. I had to say it.

Parademons began to pour out by the dozens and we started fighting them off.

It was epic. Lasers red and green up above, cool and less so constructs of various sorts as well.

Below, I was supporting Batman, who was as superior to his other counterparts as expected. The damage he did to those things was ridiculous. These muscles he has aren't just for show.

"Lantern, Superman, keep the collateral low, will you?!" I yelled.

"Trying!"

Superman blasted a Parademon sneaking behind me. 

I swear, the others better show up fast…

We'd been pushed out into the streets below when Superman began to take off.

"There's a plane in danger, I'm going."

I almost forgot that part.

Eventually, we got rid of the group in the area we were in. And of course that's when Flash showed up. Always a little late.

"Hi, hearing you all might need my help… Is that… Batman?"

"Yeah." Hal shrugged.

Flash ran to his side.

"It's an honor, mister Wayne hum, Batman, Sir…"

Batman shook his hand.

"I've been following your progress for a while now. You do some tight, efficient work."

This is definitely not the Barry from CW. Good.

Green Lantern was looking salty.

Talking about being salty, how the fuck does EVERYONE seem to ignore me unless I talk to them… Am I… less than a side character? Am I going to die tonight as that one forgettable lame hero?

God…

Superman came flying down with Wonder Woman at the approach of fifty or so more Parademons.

When she was done, Flash tried to go talk to her but Superman landed right between them, glaring at him.

From the night sky, Victor Stone, aka, Cyborg, finally appeared.

"Let me take care of this one." Wonder Woman charged, only to get blasted away.

"Wait! I am not your enemy!"

Superman would have blown up the guy if not for Flash getting in the way.

"It's true, I can vouch for him, he was at S.T.A.R. Labs."

"It's quite obvious he is structured differently from the others. In addition to clearly having a human inside."

And then Shazam flew down from the sky, crackling with yellow lightning. He landed right in the middle of us.

"Hi. What's up? I'm Shazam." he turned to point at Cyborg. "I'm with him."

I'm already done with this bullshit.

"Listen. I know you, Victor Stone. Your father is a brilliant scientist. What did you have to say?"

"Hey guys… I think we've got a problem more important than that." GL said.

We turned around to witness fire burning on water. Then a large tower appeared and finally, the myth, the legend and the absolutely bullshitly written Darkseid.

"I am Darkseid. you will be destroyed."

"Alright. I think we know who's our primary target. Aim for the leader, demoralize the troops." I sighed. I just need to take charge and get this over with for us...

"Who died and made you–"

"Shut up, Jordan. Batman. Stand still, I'm sending this way an armor similar to the one I'm wearing. You can keep it. Let's try to push that guy as far as possible from here to avoid damage to the city."

They already started to fly off. "Not you, Victor. You've clearly been affected in some way by their tech. You're some sort of cyborg now. Have you got any sort of info?"

"They're… terraforming the earth. They've done so to countless worlds before… they are organic matter to create parademons, the soldiers…"

Now we can get things over with much faster.

"Do you have a computer in your head?"

Boy is it painful to act like I don't already know.

"Hum… yes… Quantum."

"Perfect. We can use my tech and yours to solve our problems."

As planned.

I pulled out the three Brain boxes of Actuator, Imaginator and Interpretor. Using the Atom tech, carrying those around was a peice of cake.

They connected with Cyborg's inner mother box.

Soon the power Armor for Batman arrived and he jumped in.

"Don't worry, Interpretor will guide you."

Then we flew towards Darkseid to join the others in combat.

And they were getting beaten harshly. He had already reached the buildings and was mindlessly destroying them while taking on everyone.

He shot his beams at Superman and Flash while we were punching and sending volts of lightning, all of it was mostly ineffective.

"Not good, we need a plan." Batman said.

The hell do you mean? You're the guy who makes plans, not me!

"For now just focus on pushing him away. Use negative gravitons, set them up with a Z axis rotation, that will push him back. While at it, absorb his own gravity field, ground him."

While doing that, I tried to approach the Flash who was busy dispatching a dozen Parademons.

"Flash, how fast are you?"

"Very, why?"

I removed my gauntlet and gave it to him.

"Run as far as you can, come back as fast as physically possible. Right before contact, activate the gauntlet. It will multiply by a hundred times the weight of your fist."

"Good plan."

And there he went.

In the meantime, Batman was also giving his own orders. With him around to tell Hal what to build, the efficiency of the damage dealt by everyone was through the roof, it was like fucking art.

Now unto the eyes to stop these pesky lasers. I still remember how they beat him originally so luckily for us, there is no need to spend thirty minutes beating him down.

"Wonder Woman, aim for the eyes!" 

Damn, Batman beat me to it.

And in an instant, her sword hard plunged into the Newgod's left eye socket.

Even with me and Batman pushing him away and dragging him down, Darkseid was relentless.

Suddenly, a red streak struck the fucker square in the back, sending him flying over several buildings.

My fault, should have asked him to aim.

"Sorry…" he gasped for air. "For being late, I had to gather enough momentum…"

"Incredible!" Wonder Woman praised him.

"Thanks…"

"The battle is far from over…" Batman said.

"Darkseid is getting back up." Added Shazam.

Shit. 

"If that didn't work, what will?" I wondered.

Then I heard Cyborg's voice.

"I've got the solution, I can send him back… but I'll need more power!"

I looked at Shazam and… wait. How can he say his name without transforming?! I just noticed that. In the movies, he mever used the name Captain Marvel. That is so... Wrong.

"Eh? Do I have something in my teeth?"

But Batman saved us the time to explain.

"Go find Victor. He needs your power."

"Got it."

Then suddenly, I felt a huge fist crash into me. Had my shield not been up, I would have died. Instead, Darkseid suffered a force nearly equal to what he tried to exert, it shattered his arm and he screamed in agony.

The only things that bypass my shield are light, tachyons and maybe magic.

I was still damaged though. The fact he's surrounded by a field of various sorts of gravitons allowed him to hit me still.

Luckily for me, Actuator stabilized the armor, gently halting my fall.

"Are you alright?" Green Lantern of all people asked.

"How did you even survive something like that?" Wonder Woman asked.

But Darkseid was already back on the offensive. He still had one eye and one arm.

Shit, I'm fucking bleeding. I think I've got a broken rib.

Suddenly, a bright yellow bolt of lightning appeared far away and a large portal opened behind Darkseid, but he resisted. All around us, Parademons were being sent back from where they came from.

"Flash. Be ready to force him in!"

"Already on it."

With the others, I charged at Darkseid, he was getting the beat down of his life, keeping his eye closed to avoid losing it too.

"I am Darkseid! You are nothing!"

"Oh yeah?" Hal said. "Then I guess Darkseid is less than nothing!"

"I am not leaving without you, Kryptonian!"

And he tried to grab Superman. But assisted by wonderwoman, they pushed the rocky god further and further.

Even with Batman and I depleting our reserves, even while absorbing the field of Darkseid, he was still standing.

Much, much stronger than what he should be… Or maybe he was actually trying.

But finally, Flash came in, and he hit Darkseid so hard that we were all sent back meters away. It blew up the whole area. I saw it right before it closed… There was a gaping hole in Darkseid's stomach. The New God finally faltered and the portal closed behind him.

It was done. For now, the greatest threat to myself was dealt with… So this is peace? Wow, I missed you.

"Lantern, the civilians!"

"Got em." I remember that part of the movie now too, catch the all with giant baseball gloves 

"Cyborg. Darkseid is gone, but how do we make sure it stays that way?" Batman asked.

"All those mother boxes are fried. He can't come back here ever again."

"Good." Wonder Woman said. "He was the toughest opponent I've ever faced. If not for all of you– where is the thundering imbecile?"

"He… Says he has a date." Cyborg whispered.

"How can this immature guy even get a girlfriend?"

He can't, Flash. But details.

The people were already celebrating us. In this world, civilians are already accepted heroes in their day to day lives. I feel like a fucking star right now, Lucifer's got nothing on me.

"Mundus… Sorry for your gauntlet… it's kinda ruined."

I laughed.

"Don't worry. I got more. In fact, if you tell me your birthday someday, I'll offer you a brand new one for situations like this!"

"You know," Superman said, walking by my side. "I always thought you were evil… Like Luthor. But today again, I see proof that even I can be wrong. You're a good man, Neo Mundus."

"Thank–"

"Wait!" Wonder Woman interrupted. "Neo Mundus? New World? That's your name? I suppose it does speak to your ambitions, but I never expected the man's world to have people use dead tongues. It seems a little out of date, don't you think?"

Incredible. This is the Justice League. And here I am, talking with them like a friend.

Can we get much higher? Not if the one piece is the friends we made along the way!

Flying down upon Bludhaven, I was pleasantly surprised to find out the Vangelions had kept the city safe. Technically it was the triad but the point still stands.

I already know soon i'll get invited to stand with the other heroes in front of America to see the birth of the JLA. So I need to prepare and that means a new suit. I was already asking Imaginator ro spit out some random ideas… To my surprise, who do I see but Aria herself, accompanied by Raphael Vinicci. Young blond guy fascinated by the occult. I say young but he is older than me.

Remember all those families that the Germane introduced to Lazarus? His was among them.

"Sir Neo! I'm so glad to see you…" Aria said.

"Interpretor told us about the battle, showed the images from your armor…"

"To think aliens would want to take over the earth of all places…"

I came out of the armor and sat at my desk. 

"Where were you at during the attack?"

"At home." Aria answered.

"Yes. We were having a read on the ancient magical rituals of Egypt."

And there it was. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Not that they could see my eyes. But with how sweaty I was under that mask… I was considering removing it.

"Don't try anything you read. I mean it. Even if it may seem harmless…" 

If there is one thing that still scares me, it's magic. And demon's, I guess. I just don't want to lose my soul, you know?

"Sir Mundus," Raphael asked. "You just came back from a long battle, why are you still working now that it's over?"

"I expect to soon go to an important gathering and I feel I must be… Dressed accordingly, is all."

"Alright…" She sighed. "Have a nice night."

And as they left behind, I turned my attention back to the Vangelion MK1. I guess it's time for the MK4.

"Yeah… Add on some gold and purple on the head and shoulders… Make the cape purple too."

Before my eyes, the digital representation of the armor was changing in real time, colors adjusting, designs modifying… Very satisfying, I feel like Tony Stark.

"Actually, replace the purple everywhere with red… Yeah, I would rather not look too evil."

Next, there's the fact that my whole gimmick is gravity manipulation… But I shouldn't just limit myself to that. Having varied tools available would be helpful. I was thinking of adding some big ass shoulder canons but that might work better as a detachable mod.

But Genna has been working hard on the Zeta ray tech… I'll ask Cyborg for help. I managed to design a controlled EMP grenade a few months ago so I had to add that… Finally, I increased the graviton capacity by twice and added miniaturization tech. I didn't want to at first, it seemed like a weird gimmick but Interpretor gave me the idea to use it to carry the armor in my pockets. 

Like an action figurine.

After two days, the MK4 was finished. Absolutely badass, much more iconic, perfect. I always had a philosophy that if a kid would buy it and find it cool, then it was a good suit design.

This new style is probably going to be my default from now on. I can give the old suit to someone in the Verus Ordo.

On the day of the ceremony, I made sure to come late. The art of presentation, as always. The clouds parted and I slowly made my descent besides everyone. I bet they thought I wasn't coming.

"Wow, someone got a new paint job. Is that why you were late?" Flash said, he looked excited.

"I hope it was worth it." I asked.

Man, I love this guy.

"Seems a little over the top to me." GL, as already established, dislikes me.

"I think it's fitting." 

Let's go! Wonder Woman likes it. She said it's fitting, fitting! My ego hasn't been fed in too long.

"I feel I have to agree with Green Lantern." 

Batman, how could you betray your single biggest fan on earth?!

"I kinda like it?" Shazam said.

Superman and Cyborg didn't have much to say though. A bit of a shame. I'll ask him about the Zeta tech later.

The president began to make his speech about heroism or whatever. I was too focused on listening to the others speak.

Wonder Woman was describing us as different gods. She didn't have one for me or Superman but that uniqueness was clearly more interesting in the man of steel. I felt my heart crumble when I saw in the corner of my eyes how they were looking at each other.

But it doesn't really matter. In the end, things are what they are. And I'm not the only one suffering, so is a certain plane pilot, I'm sure. I feel sorry for him.

When it was all over though, I was the one with the most journalists around. Exactly as I had hoped for. I already know I've been causing a lot of controversies on the web. Some love me, others don't. But I do need them to love me. So now it's time to see the truth. And reveal the truth.

"What are your intentions with Bludhaven?"

"Do you ever intend to share your technology with the wider world?"

"Are you truly the designer of the Holophone by Germane electronics?"

And bla, bla, bla…

"People, please! Calm down. Let me explain everything."

Today is a great day for it is the day all my intentions are made known.

"I was born in Gotham city. No parents had to live on the streets selling drugs, stealing anything I could make use of. I saw the worst in humanity… Then I heard of heroes like Batman, Superman, the Flash… They were the lights that showed me that humanity didn't have to be so… Malign."

Let that sink in... Theatrical pause.

"So I knew what I had to do. I changed, became the version of me I always wanted to be. And I told people of my vision. These people believed in me. The Germane family, the Vinicci, the Enjollie… And my coworkers, Dr. Genna Fell and Professor Marko Ottos. Coworkers, friends and mentors… The mayor of Bludhaven himself who agreed to implement the Vangelion project… Project that proved its efficiency,"

"But I don't intend to just stop at one city. I'm not aiming just at America but the whole world. Neo Mundus means new world. But we have to start small to bring big changes. Some people dislike me and do not trust me. Some outright hate me, calling me a dictator the government won't do anything about…"

As if they could stop me with anything less than a nuke. Actually, no, even that would be possible to survive with my upgraded shield.

"I call myself a harbinger of change, positive change. For all the territories you let be my responsibility, you will see the same prosperity as in Bludhaven. All of this is why…"

I let the silence hang, the tension build... Now unto the big reveal. The ultimate truth of my goals, my key to chaos and also to order, what will reveal what the people really think of me considering my results.

"That is why I am running for president in the next elections."

Uproar of questions upon questions. My point is already made though. I can feel the others looking at me behind my back. I can't help but turn around to savor their surprise as I begin to float off the ground.

"There is no way that just happened…" Green Lantern said.

-Epilogue-

-Raphael Vinicci-

Before meeting Neo Mundus, there was the court of owls. And as far as Raphael Vinicci knew, they were the only ones to hold the mysteries of life and death. Very young, as his sister had been, he was initiated by his parents within the court so that, as one of the elites of Gotham, he could rule from the shadows of that rotten city into something greater.

But the knowledge of the court was not absolute. And their understanding of sciences and the arts of resurrection were nothing in the face of Lazarus. That miraculous green substance which naturally did what the court had been trying to do for centuries. And he was left mesmerized.

Before then, Raphael only had a passing interest in magic and the occult but at the sight of something so miraculous with not even an ounce of science involved, that interest turned to fascination.

And then there was the one who revealed this new world's true depths to him and his family. Neo Mundus. Little of him was known, not even by the Germane family who pretended themselves to be close to him.

In his curiosity, Raphael had asked lady Aria of said family for insight. Yet the little she knew seemed to only raise more questions. Even during the celebration party of the 'True Order', the mysterious men had done everything to keep the focus away from himself.

All that left everyone with the same information. He pretended himself to be very old. But since he was so fluent in current english, he was probably keeping up with the modern world for a while. And yet, Aria had informed him that, according to her father, he had claimed to not have done so when they first met.

In which case, he must have known magic to allow him to speak the modern tongue with such ease. Yet Neo Mundus claimed his sole supernatural ability was his immortality. Then there's the fact that someone who knows magic well would use that instead of technology. Even more interesting, considering the questions he had asked the actual closest people to Neo, those being the scientists Marko and Genna, he had been the one to come up and propose the ideas for harnessing gravity and creating artificial intelligences.

Both of these were based on concepts and ideas that logically someone who was very old and out of touch with the modern world wouldn't be able to conceive.

The cherry on top was the speech he gave on the celebration day of the heroes who saved the world. He claimed to have been born in Gotham. Which would emply him to be much younger than he made himself out to be.

There was only one explanation. He was lying. The question was this though: Was he lying to the public, to the order, or to everyone?

Neo Mundus could not be as benevolent as he appeared. Considering all of that, considering the man also seemed to have a dislike for the arcane, the only logical thing was for him to be prepared. In case the man behind the mask is more tyrant then benevolent…