Chapter 172: Truth

[Anthony's POV]

"He's a traitor, and we can't trust him."

Robin spoke while eyeing Lex's bald head as he led our group ahead.

"The kid's right, let me take him out."

Captain Boomerang raised his hands immediately when he saw my eyes slightly glowing.

"You're an interested party and don't see the truth through emotions."

Lex said, addressing me and Lena.

"He's a dangerous psychopath capable of switching sides at the snap of a finger..."

"Cut it out, and it's not in my best interest. You have to trust me. You have no choice and no time... Batman will take care of it."

Lex replied while guiding us to the control room where the portal was located... interesting technology.

A blend of Mother Box and Apokolips.

"We've lost contact with Shazam..."

Lois unexpectedly interrupted.

After her words, Clark placed a hand on her shoulder.

"He knew what he was getting into... we all do. But it just means we need to end Darkseid's tyranny sooner."

He concluded confidently.

"Yes, we'll kick his godly ass!"

Harley exclaimed, drawing attention to herself.

"What? I said it nicely..."

"So in your reality, I died, and you two became heads of LexCorp and renamed it LuthorCorp?"

Lex himself asked, not distracted from adjusting the portal.

"Yes, our Lex died in a fire at the top of his building."

Lena nodded.

At that moment, the girls from our group were whispering something aside.

"A fire? Me?"

Lex paused for a moment and glanced at us.

"I somehow doubt another version of me could die so foolishly."

"Millions of realities and probabilities."

I shrugged.

"Yes... it's just not every day you see your dead sister. So, does that mean... you didn't have that illness?"

He asked without turning around.

"I was still sick... and you abandoned us just the same."

Lena expressed with a hint of resentment in her voice.

"I acted the same way here... and I admit it was a mistake. But back then, I was more concerned about my assets."

"As if that's changed now."

Robin snorted.

"Oh, more than you think. Over the years, I've seen a lot, and all my money didn't help save the world, so you could say I've changed my values."

Lex shrugged.

"So, you've fought Clark many times here, right? For what reason?"

Lena asked.

"You're always so curious."

Lex smirked.

"Clark and I share a long-standing friendship and hatred intertwined with forced alliances and mutual respect."

He didn't turn around, but Clark raised an eyebrow, briefly showing a smile.

"But he wasn't human, and his DNA surpassed all my expectations, so I..."

"Played god and Tried to create your "perfect man," and ended up creating a monster."

Robin spat.

"That's how it may look to some. However, I consider myself and my goals slightly above the ordinary desire for world dominance because that's just too dull. The portal will be ready in three minutes... in the meantime, gear up."

Lex pressed a button, and a futuristic weapons shelf emerged from the wall... with Kryptonite.

They were specifically designed against those with Kryptonian blood.

"Oh, yes..."

Harley exclaimed excitedly while grabbing a large gun.

"But still... don't you feel anything? We're family after all..."

Lena didn't hold back when approaching Lex and turning him to face her.

"What do you want me to say? Hello, sister, let's start over together? Besides, I never had a younger brother... I may look like your Lex, but I'm not him. He died in that fire... which is quite suspicious, by the way. I've met another version of myself, and we weren't much different from each other. I never neglected my security..."

"What are you implying?"

Lena furrowed her brows.

"That someone... could have killed you?"

"I don't know, I'm not him, remember? But I've always had plenty of enemies, especially at the beginning of my rise. And... who else would benefit the most from my death?"

"How dare you..."

Lena's eyes flared red, but I embraced her from behind, and she immediately calmed down.

"I'm just sharing my thoughts."

He shrugged as if he hadn't said anything.

"How did you two become... like this?"

"Tony helped me, figured out how to cure me and give me strength."

"Oh, and how did he gain powers?"

Lex looked at me and pressed a button, causing the portal's hum to intensify.

"I... don't know. Tony?"

Lena tilted her head back to look at me.

"I don't think it's worth telling one of this world's main villains."

I said.

"But you can probably guess yourself."

I hinted at her about the chat, and she opened her mouth in an "O" shape, seemingly understanding something.

"You know, I have a lot of experience in the business world, and a look promising me death I can easily distinguish from ordinary dislike. It was easy for your powers to set up the fire, right? Oh, why am I... never mind. We have a battle with Darkseid coming up."

"This can't be... this isn't..."

Lena stood up and walked a bit further on the platform towards the portal, throwing glances at me.

"Tony, tell me this isn't true..."

"... um, it's not true?"

I must have said it in a tone that Lena immediately understood everything.

"Lena, don't listen to him. He may not be doing it on purpose, but he's manipulating us against each other... He's an ambitious businessman, after all."

"I can't believe it! I even shed a tear over his grave, holding your hand, and all this... is a lie?"

"Lena, I didn't deceive you, I just didn't tell everything... and I admit it wasn't my best decision. Before you get even angrier, I did it not just because of his company."

"I caught his attention when I started succeeding in school and finished college. I'll remind you that Lex abandoned us on the street, taking all the money and not even giving us a last look."

I told her.

We were aside, so maybe only Superman and the girls from our group could hear our talk.

Well, and this Lex

"And what's next?"

She didn't rush and waited for me to continue.

"And then when realizing that I could actually achieve something and pose some kind of threat to him... he decided to get rid of us. He had already paid half of what he owed to a hired killer to get rid of us. I just did it first."

I confessed.

"And why didn't you tell me all this from the beginning?"

She asked quietly, turning away from me.

"I wanted to protect you... and myself. It's hard to admit that I provoked our malicious brother while looking into your eyes. I feel like a scapegoat right away."

I sighed.

I needed to finish off this Lex before it's too late.

"You're right to do so... what bothers me more is that you didn't tell me the truth from the start, not Lex's death. After all, I didn't know him, but I grew up with you."

Lena quietly said.

"Somewhere deep down, I already knew the truth, and everything matched too well. I just believed until the last moment that it wasn't true and that you wouldn't stay silent..."

"The portal is opening."

Lex said loudly, attracting the attention of all the heroes and non-heroes here.

Shinoa Hiragi: Administrator-kun... is everything okay between you and Lena?

Anthony (Administrator): Yes, just a small quarrel over trust... don't worry. The battle will be intense.

I typed in the chat and looked again at Lena who was lost in thought about something.

She stood there with her lips pursed, but I didn't feel outright hostility from her direction, and she seemed... disappointed.

"Get on the portal installation."

Lex said, and Clark glanced at Lois.

"I'll stay here to watch him so the Parademons don't sneak up on you."

She decided.

"What? Lois, this is..."

She quickly kissed him.

"It's my choice... let's fight together against the enemy."

She smiled at him.

"These displays of affection will be the death of me. Let's go before I sober up."

Constantine remarked.

"Administrator-kun?"

Shinoa looked at me, seemingly curious about who would go.

"We need more people here... I suspect the Parademons will try to get to the portal to return to their master."

"Understood."

Winter nodded.

"It's too early for me to fight a god... so I'll stay here to defend this portal."

She said with a somewhat cold expression.

"I'll help Winter."

Erin spoke up.

"I... will stay here too."

Lena said, glancing briefly at Lex.

"Brother, I believe in your strength and that you will succeed."

Then she looked at me... and from her gaze, I understood that we were not finished and there would be a serious conversation ahead.

"Then I'll go with Administrator-kun."

Shinoa exclaimed and hugged my hand.

Hermione nodded as if saying she would go with me. She and the others had been through a lot.

"Tony, I hope my power will be useful to you..."

Rias whispered in my ear.

She herself was now in a costume made of Eight Metal, covering her entire body and enhancing her energy.

"He's gathered himself a harem here... bastard..."

I heard Constantine curse.

They were preparing to go to Darkseid's planet, stood at the portal, and soon were transported.

Shinoa immediately activated the livestream, and Winter did the same from the other side so we could observe what was happening there.

The White Lantern Ring glowed, and I checked where exactly this planet was located in the universe...

It turned out to be very, very far from Earth.

I wasn't even sure I could reach it with magic before, but now I was perfectly capable of doing so.

Apokolips felt like... hell, as strange as it may sound.

Feelings of pain filled the air, and the building here was perfect for the New God—it was all very old and terrible.

"So here we are on the planet of our enemy..."

John said, pulling out some goggles.

However, I simply snapped my fingers, and we were enveloped in magic, hiding us from the gaze of the surveillance systems here.

I don't think magic will work here if these systems are based on the Mother Box.

...

[3rd POV]

Metropolis

A hologram of Batman suddenly appeared in the control room with the portal control panel and the people protecting it from the Parademons. 

Darkseid had altered him to serve him too.

"Unauthorized use of the portal has been detected. I await an explanation."

He cut straight to the point while looking at Lex as if he were a bug.

"Oh, don't worry, just a power surge. It's fixed already. Hail Darkseid."

Lex raised his hand casually.

"Did you finally decide to show your true traitorous nature? Lord Darkseid will kill you slowly."

After these words, the hologram disappeared.

"Well, it seems now I'm definitely completely on your side."

Lex remarked, looking at Lois and the others.

"Where are the Parademons now?"

Winter asked, approaching the monitor.

"Hmm, they're heading towards us. It looks like Batman ordered them to destroy us..."

Lex said grimly, clenching his fists.

"We'll handle them."

Winter added confidently.

"Especially since we have this Kryptonite which is their weakness... I'll try to replicate the radiation at least."

She muttered while holding a green Kryptonite crystal in her hands.

"We'll definitely manage."

Lena said, placing a hand on Winter's shoulder.

"By the way, can you tell us more about what Lex was doing..."

She looked at Lois.

...

[Anthony's POV]

Apokolips

Before we could reach Darkseid's citadel, we were surrounded by a magical mist... which I simply blew away.

However, I noticed former members of the Justice League sneaking towards us.

They turned Mera into a cybernetic snake-woman and brainwashed her.

The Justice League here consisted of "canonical" members.

Martian Manhunter now looked like a multi-legged iron spider.

Starfire had half of her face replaced with prosthetics.

Hawkman resembled a predatory bird with prosthetics more closely than a human.

Diana... she remained a beautiful woman, but the changes were evident to the naked eye.

"What has he done to you all..."

Superman's voice carried pity and self-loathing for his defeat.

"They're enemies, right?"

Shinoa asked rhetorically, sweeping aside an attack from the local Starfire.

"Yes."

Robin replied curtly while charging forward with a Kryptonite sword.

"I wasn't asking you kid."

Shinoa retorted.

"Can we still help them?"

Rias asked me, creating a shield of destructive power in her hands.

"Perhaps... oh, Darkseid has almost broken through the resistance on Oa."

My ring informed me.

I should help the cosmic police so they don't perish completely at the hands of the New God.

...

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