trans_9 | Phase 4 - The Mastermind Behind it All?

You're probably right, Tim thinks, in agreement with Mai. Still--as sneaky and evil as he might be, as long as he thinks he can use us, he'll work with us. And having that kind of smart on our side isn't a bad thing. He still remembers the sort-of-help he got from Luthor when Kon was sick.

And I definitely agree with the part where we should cut and run when things start getting questionable. Because it's Luthor, and it's almost certain that they will.

...And Tim's probably going to have to kill Slobo later. There was a reason they weren't talking out loud.

Edited 2009-11-04 18:03 (UTC)

Agreed. As long as Dr. Grey is able to verify his statements, we would be wise to acquire as much information as possible before proceeding. Forewarned is forearmed. Billy's thoughts are speeding past in a slightly slurred voice, as if he's afraid of Luthor's reaction to Slobo's revelation.

"Evading traps set by an artificial intelligence are one thing. Defeating an army of pirates is another." He's not sure if the uncertainty creeping into his voice is a good addition to the 'frightened sheep' act or a tool to be used against him later---possibly both. Nothing in the world undermines Billy's confidence more than being outclassed in intelligence by an enemy in a bad situation, and that's likely to be seeping through the mental link.

"We've dealt with pirates before." Okay, so Zuko and his Fire Nation soldiers had kind of helped, but no reason to let Luthor know that. Or anyone else.

Wait. Oh yeah. Mental connection. SOkka mentally kicked himself before continuing.

"But if we haven't got a choice, we haven't got a choice..."

I agree with Mai. This guy reminds me of Azula, even if I didn't have much to do with her...she was a total psychopath. And a brilliant planner. She out maneuvered me. And I had a good plan!

He's like Vlad. And there was definite fear and wariness with that thought from Dani.

But if he's like that...then as long as we're useful, he won't be against us. She didn't know how most people worked, but she definitely got a good grasp on how the villain manipulator who was GOOD at it worked.

Katara had already said her piece to the rest of them, there was no need to go on about it anymore. The look she gives Slobo isn't one anyone can actually pinpoint, although Sokka would have definitely understood the rage that was passing through the girl. It had little to do with him talking about the telepathy: truthfully, it hardly mattered if Luthor knew, he still couldn't hear them. What had mattered was Slobo laughing at what they'd gone through, and idly taking a drink as though it was just another walk in the park. She didn't care where anyone had come from, or indestructible they were: some of them had been in true mortal peril. It had been nothing to congratulate anyone about. She was reminded painfully of Zuko's betrayal the first time, when she'd let her guard down and Aang had almost died.

Sometimes it was really hard to trust anyone, since their intentions always seemed to be diverted somewhere else.

"He can do what he wants," Katara said, her voice quiet. "We have a job to do anyway."

And, helpful as usual, Caden (who has habitually morphed human) is silent through the whole thing. His eyes are wide, his mind his blank, and he clings to Wyn's hand as though the solidity of the ground beneath his feet depends on it. Completely oblivious to it all, his gaze is fixed on what he can see of Jaime's back, his fuzzy, fuzzy thoughts occasionally murmuring "But he died" into his empty, empty head.

Inconvenient mental breakdown? Caden? Never.

"A psychic. Clever."

Lex was good at misdirection, and certainly had more than his fair share of secrets, but he generally wasn't an outright liar. And he was, offering them food, drink, rest, and a way to get off this ship... and they were plotting against him.

His eyes briefly settled on Conner. Apparently being a lying bastard wasn't something Clark learned from the Kents; it ran in the blood.

Typical. There was something deeper to that thought than just mere annoyance, though. Had they offended him?

"Try to be nice to some people, you know?" He handed Slobo another glass. "But if your little psychic is done violating my mind, she should know that everything I've told you is the truth.

"You're the only ones who have lied so far."

"Caden, you've got to focus." Wyn murmurs, squeezing Caden's hand reassuringly. When he doesn't react, still staring blankly forward as if she hadn't said anything at all, she sighs irritably-- and slaps him squarely in the face as hard as she can with her free hand.

"Caden. Panic later, focus now." Wyn isn't good with people freaking out even at the best of times. This is not the best of times.

Edited 2009-11-05 00:02 (UTC)

Cassie bit her tongue to keep from saying anything but one look on her face spoke volumes. She was pissed and odds were everyone could feel it through the link up. There weren't any coherent thoughts, more a string of half formed thoughts blurring together. There was just rage and disgust and worry for her friends.

Without complete control over her emotions, she lost control over her size, growing to about ten feet before she stopped it.

"And you sat back and would have watched us die. Don't try taking the high ground with us, it's not going to work." She said, making herself shrink back down to normal.

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

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.

"So what'll it be?"

He blinks at that, registering vaguely that his cheek hurts for some reason, and oh, is that Wyn's hand he's squeezing the life out of, and why is his brain so full of people talking, and wait a minute, why is Jaime standing up wait a minute, that looks like Lex Luthor -

"Ho.ly.shit," he says, eyes widening as he begins to replay everything that has happened since Jaime died. Panther morph, Wyn lost, dragon morph, sensors broke, alive Jaime, AI slain, disembodied clapping, Wyn found, telekinesis, slapped.

He thinks. For the first time in... however long it had been since they had been ambushed by that damn machine, he thinks, and the first thing that he does is crush Wyn in a hug and simultaneously grumble at her for smacking him. Also, he is now listening to the mental conversation that GTFO is having, trying to figure out what exactly is happening in the grand scheme of things. Also, why is Lex Luthor here?

Lex took a moment and quietly approached the Chief.

"Hey, excuse me... are they always this argumentative?"

Kon's shield is held in Lex's way, and he looks to Chief.

"Chief. He's a possible help, but bad news, whatever universe he's from. We need to do it on our terms, or get him out of the way. He can't be trusted. He might be nothing like the Lex Luthor some of us know--but if he is, he can't be trusted, or he can be only under extreme supervision."

Mai actually smiles for once and nods towards Superboy, "I'm with him."

The Chief nods to Kon. "Noted." He's not dismissing him, the Chief's just not real talky. He's deeply aware of the situation, he's been forced to work with people like Luthor before. Perhaps not as clever, but similar.

He looks back to Lex. "Frankly, Mr. Luthor: If we were not argumentative, I'd be convinced something was wrong."

We. Us. The crew. He means it, too. He's known most of them for a while now, they're his and he's theirs and he thinks he has a good estimate of the majority of these people.

"Most of this crew does not trust you, whether they know you or not. I do not trust you. You've held resources and information from us, and done nothing to help us. You've treated people as expendable and would have stood by and watched us die. I don't see a reason to start trusting you now."

Jaime says nothing. When he said Chief's in charge now, he meant it. He doesn't trust himself to lead anymore.

And while he wanted to use Luthor's knowledge and--more than that, his tactical skill--something that couldn't be removed from him by even the best telepathy--that only worked if Luthor didn't know he was being played, that they were poised to stop listening to him the moment they were at risk. (Thanks a lot, Slobo, and don't ever expect to be trusted by Jaime ever again).

Now that that's blown out of the water, he's following Chief's lead here. Whatever he says goes, whether he agrees with it or not.

Slobo just drank and put his glass down.

"You guys are all fraggin' idiots, yanno that? Seriously." He poured himself another drink and sat down. "All this distrust from a guy we may not even know, could be a clone, and imposter, a double, who the hell cares... But ya seem ta forget that he isn't exactly in a position to win crap by betrayin' anyone. He'll just be a guy. Stuck on a ship. Surrounded by people who want to beat the crap out of him." He got up quickly, and walked back to the minibar, opening it exaggeratedly. "Oh, gee, this minibar ain't stocked with anything me or the guys I worked with are weak ta. So there's go takin' out the superpowers." He turned around. "And even the non powers could kick this guy easy. He's a bald kid, only a little older than us teenagers. And yet, none of you are takin' that fraggin' logical leap, are ya? Yer just judgin' and gettin' pissy at anyone who don't think like ya do." With that, he sat back down.

"'With friends like these'... No wonder you idiots got into a giant fight over a brain slug."

"He's just a guy. On a phenomenally powerful ship, with a stockpile of high-tech weaponry and items of power from multiple worlds. Asking for a bunch of pawns to clear the way for him to get to the bridge--where whoever gets control of it, controls said ship, and can hold millions of people hostage by hovering their finger over a button."

He normally wouldn't say this, but...

"Slo'? With all due respect? Shut up."

Katara was sick of all this. There was little about talking that made sense now: everyone was just having doubts, yelling and arguing. She was still scared about the people back at the vatican, and Aang, wherever he was, and the people here and what would happen to them.

"When we're done talking," Katara said quietly, "I'm ready to get to the next part of taking the bridge, however that happens. The more time we spend here talking, the worse our situation gets."

"He could be planning to make a deal with the pirates. He could be planning to take the bridge. He could be planning to do a million and one things that doesn't need us powerless, but make us work against each other if things don't go his way," Dani said.

She looked at Kon. He was reacting badly and knew this guy. Someone like this...was it possible?

"But he can be helpful, but I think we should listen to Kon," she said and looked at Lex. "Let me or Danny stick close with him. And if he does anything that's fishy, we overshadow him and make sure he can't pull any fast ones. He might not be lying now, but that doesn't mean he won't be later."

Kelly stood off to one side behind Chief, keeping her silence and mere watching the proceedings with her arms folded across her chest. It was pretty obvious that some of the crew knew him, or knew of him. And it was also apparent that they didn't trust him as far as they could throw him. But she was a soldier first and foremost. Her CO had given orders, and she would obey them. She didn't need to worry about whether they were wrong or right. That was for those in command. Soldiers followed orders.

The telepathy had been a strange touch, but she'd kept her mind quiet. Merely listening to the others talk. When the time came that she had to say something, she'd say it. But until then, she'd hold her piece and fight. That was what she'd been trained for.

He's already five steps ahead of them. She thought. He's dangerous. Setting a mind like this loose among the powerful children on board here is putting a fox in among the hens. And then she took account of her teammates.

Slobo was wrong, but for all the right reasons. His wasn't a kneejerk response. But he did not realize the dangers.

Kon was lashing out with his castigation both at her and Slobo. Exactly the kind of response i'd expect from self described heroes.

The blond and brunette were clutching at each other in their agitation.

Only the two youngest of her erstwhile comrades had the right ideas.

"Enough. I cast my vote also for going immediately to the bridge. Luthor may accompany with us or not, I don't care." Which was a sharp contrast to her thoughts of a minute ago, but then she was sure and easy with concealing her true intentions when she needed to.

Slobo simply got up from his chair, glaring at Kon for a moment, before looking down at the ground.

"I'm outta here. There's somethin' goin' down back at 'base', and I'd rather risk my neck for people who will survive, not a buncha punks who're gonna waste all their time treatin' people like lepers because of where they came from." He started to walk, pausing by Lex.

"Don't feel bad, man." He said almost nonchalantly. "They treated me... and someone else... the same way cause o' what we were. They want their villains ta be villains, period." With that, he walked a few more steps and stopped at Kon, giving a glare. His eyes were different than normal, or than Kon had ever seen them. They were a bright, crimson red.

"Ya ever talk to me like that again, Superboy..." He said, the first time he had used Kon's superheroic name to his face.

"... And you an' me are gonna finish what our 'fathers' started. I'm gonna go see if the people who NEED help need it." With that, he started his walk out.

Lex smirked, then motioned towards the viewing screen. It flickered briefly, then the images changed. "That is a live feed of the main bridge," and three seconds later, the view changed. And every few seconds, it continued to change. "That's a live feed of the Engineering core. That's a live feed of Stacy's computer core. This is just a map of the ship. And that--" the screen went blank now "--is all you're going to get. For now.

"If you want to leave, feel free. I was content to not interfere with your progress before, I'm content to do so again.

"Just keep in mind one thing, if whatever alternate you know is remotely like me, then you should know I always find a way to win." He's Lex Luthor, after all. Even when he loses, he wins. "I'm getting off this ship one way or another." There's a confidence in his voice and in him that suggests that he does have some kind of ace in the hole.

"And despite not knowing any of you, and having no reason to even care if you live or die, I'm still willing to help you get out of here too. Despite the fact that you've done naught but lie in my face." Remember, you're all a group of strangers to him, too. Why should he trust you?

"But if you want to walk away from help because of a mixture of fear and pride? Then go. And you'll deserve what's coming to you for being so foolish. Hopefully the next group will learn from your mistakes."

She wants to throttle Luthor, too, right now, and her temper is quick to rise, but she keeps herself in check... for the most part. Luthor has something they probably could use to get ahead. If they can use it without getting stung later, taking it would give them an advantage.

And there goes her former teammate anyway.

"Slobo," Cassie speaks up, frustrated, "I'm all for treating people fair but that was completely different. Right now you're just adding fuel to the fire. If we're lucky, we can all have this argument later."

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