Kon's been quiet all this time, just listening as Jaime proposes to ally with Luthor, but fake ally, real ally--none of it matters. He's practically shaking with the suppressed urge to slam his shield into Lex's head. When he speaks, it's quiet, and practically simmering with some unuttered something.
"We know you. The Lex Luthor some of us know isn't exactly a trustworthy guy. People are trying to be pragmatic--that's something I think someone like you would understand. But I can't say I agree with the degree of that." Here he shoots Sheeana a glare.
As Lex hands Slobo the drink, he briefly eyes his old friend, looking...disappointed. Angry. It's not at the revelation of their telepathic convo stuff, no, because Kon thinks the entire conversation is stupid and he hadn't been liking the course of the conversation anyway--it's more the admiration Slobo expressed earlier.
You don't get to admire Lex Luthor and also be friends with Superboy, Slobo. He'll accept every shade of gray but that one. He needs to cut it out or he and Kon are going to have Problems. They're going to Talk later.
As for the rest, Batman knows Lex Luthor and his plotting well, and some of the others know him, but of anyone here, he's the one that's suffered the most at his hand, he's the one that understands the depths of his deceit and how roundabout his plans for power can be, how much he's willing to use other people.
...And how he's willing to go so far as to create them to be used.
It may be a different Lex Luthor, but it doesn't matter. Same sneer, same control streak. Same stupid bald head. Maybe if Superman were here, he'd defer, he'd follow his lead, but he's not.
"We're not being led by Lex Luthor," Kon says aloud to the others. "We're not pretending to be led by Lex Luthor." He eyes Jaime here.
"We're not killing him," he snarls as he eyes Sheeana here, "or telepathically taking anything from his mind that he's not willing to give. Even if we need it, that's wrong."
Heroes don't kill. They're not supposed to do those kinds of things. Not all the people here are heroes, but with this man--it'd prove every single thing that he's ever claimed about them right.
That's their cards laid out on the table for Lex to see. Kon doesn't like dishonesty, and it disgusts him that he actually agrees with Lex on this. disgusts him.
He steps forward.
"But fifteen to one odds don't look so good for you either, Luthor. Not if you're facing them alone. And as much as you want to think otherwise, we don't need you. Odds will be bad, but most of us have dealt with that before. You do need us, or else you would've taken the pirates at the bridge out yourself."
Now face to face, he says, "No control freak bullcrap. No more secrets on our side, either, no more telepathic conversations. But Chief's in charge. Either you work with us now, or you don't. If you don't, and you try to sabotage our chances for any reason, you stay handcuffed here until the fight's over, out of our way, and then get released after. If you stay out of our way, we leave you alone, and you get to hang around here hoping for the best. Those are your choices."
Black and white. Help or don't, stay out of the way or come with. They won't take anything that isn't given, but they won't grovel for scraps either. No more secrets, but also no control freak games.
no subject
"We know you. The Lex Luthor some of us know isn't exactly a trustworthy guy. People are trying to be pragmatic--that's something I think someone like you would understand. But I can't say I agree with the degree of that." Here he shoots Sheeana a glare.
As Lex hands Slobo the drink, he briefly eyes his old friend, looking...disappointed. Angry. It's not at the revelation of their telepathic convo stuff, no, because Kon thinks the entire conversation is stupid and he hadn't been liking the course of the conversation anyway--it's more the admiration Slobo expressed earlier.
You don't get to admire Lex Luthor and also be friends with Superboy, Slobo. He'll accept every shade of gray but that one. He needs to cut it out or he and Kon are going to have Problems. They're going to Talk later.
As for the rest, Batman knows Lex Luthor and his plotting well, and some of the others know him, but of anyone here, he's the one that's suffered the most at his hand, he's the one that understands the depths of his deceit and how roundabout his plans for power can be, how much he's willing to use other people.
...And how he's willing to go so far as to create them to be used.
It may be a different Lex Luthor, but it doesn't matter. Same sneer, same control streak. Same stupid bald head. Maybe if Superman were here, he'd defer, he'd follow his lead, but he's not.
"We're not being led by Lex Luthor," Kon says aloud to the others. "We're not pretending to be led by Lex Luthor." He eyes Jaime here.
"We're not killing him," he snarls as he eyes Sheeana here, "or telepathically taking anything from his mind that he's not willing to give. Even if we need it, that's wrong."
Heroes don't kill. They're not supposed to do those kinds of things. Not all the people here are heroes, but with this man--it'd prove every single thing that he's ever claimed about them right.
That's their cards laid out on the table for Lex to see. Kon doesn't like dishonesty, and it disgusts him that he actually agrees with Lex on this. disgusts him.
He steps forward.
"But fifteen to one odds don't look so good for you either, Luthor. Not if you're facing them alone. And as much as you want to think otherwise, we don't need you. Odds will be bad, but most of us have dealt with that before. You do need us, or else you would've taken the pirates at the bridge out yourself."
Now face to face, he says, "No control freak bullcrap. No more secrets on our side, either, no more telepathic conversations. But Chief's in charge. Either you work with us now, or you don't. If you don't, and you try to sabotage our chances for any reason, you stay handcuffed here until the fight's over, out of our way, and then get released after. If you stay out of our way, we leave you alone, and you get to hang around here hoping for the best. Those are your choices."
Black and white. Help or don't, stay out of the way or come with. They won't take anything that isn't given, but they won't grovel for scraps either. No more secrets, but also no control freak games.
"So what'll it be?"