tushanshu | [video]

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[Feast your eyes on one well dressed man, already clothed in something that is obviously locally made; obviously a newcomer, but from the way he’s sitting, he’s already made himself comfortable in a suite in the Metal sector.]

While I’ve certainly put some thought into... expanding beyond Metropolis, I was planning to keep that expansion on Earth. [His voice, rather calm, has just a bite of vitriol to that last word.] I’m sure I’ll be pleased to make your acquaintances, later, of course.

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[That voice. That face. She knows them both...but, for the moment, Zatanna can't precisely pinpoint how.]

You're from Metropolis?

I built Metropolis.

[Wut]

Umm...how?

By owning one of its most successful corporations- and being its most giving philanthropist, of course.

[Little girls don't need to know the bit where he also owns or is responsible for nearly everything that keeps the city running.]

So you're a businessman. That doesn't mean you own the entire city.

[Oh, she'll probably find out about you soon enough, Lex. Connections.]

Not the entire city, but enough of it. [For now, at least.] I have quite a bit of influence in Metropolis, young lady.

[And yes, she will. Unfortunately not all of that information will be applicable. Just enough, but not all.]

Unfortunately for you, this isn't Metropolis.

You're from Metropolis? I know some people from your universe!

[Nita is cheerful, apparently guileless, and obviously metahuman, with pointed ears, strange eyebrows, and, visible to the careful observer, gill slits on each side of her neck under her ears.]

Is that so?

[His expression isn't betraying any especial interest in Nita's appearance. He's just being perfectly polite and interest in what she has to say, really.]

Yeah, it's weird how it clusters like that.

[/chinhands

One of her arms has what look like long-healed, much-faded burn scars.]

Hi, I'm Nita.

Yes, it is. [His expression looks stormy for the briefest moment, but it quickly passes as though it was never there in the first place.]

Lex Luthor.

A pleasure to meet you.

You too, Mr. Luthor!

[Nita will be friendly with everyone who doesn't immediately attempt to tie her to railroad tracks.]

[ If a feed could kick up angrily, oh, it would be kicking up with all the speed and fury of Galactus eating a planet like an M&M (nevermind that is the wrong background for him; ~~he's a comics nerd!~~ HAVE A VERY IRATE SPEEDSTER, LEX, WITH VERY LOW IMPULSE CONTROL RIGHT NOW.

He kind of recognizes that voice, mister, even if there is a difference in appearance ]

YOU.

[He doesn't have any idea how he's pissed off this kid, and he doesn't care; no doubt Lex had fired one of his parents or had an office park built over his favorite playground or something.]

Yes? [He's not even acknowledging how angry the kid is, and he's managed to add even more blase smug to his natural state as he replies.]

[ Oh, that really got his blood boiling. Just a day before he had arrived here, his team had found out the true nature of this man and just how twisted his schemes could be. Or at least a version of him. ]

Don't "yes," me. I should be hauling you to the jail right now with all the stuff you've done, Luthor!

[ Forgetting that he probably doesn't have the authority to do that here. ]

[How naive. No doubt this kid looks up to Superman, or one of those other costumed buffoons that seem to be showing up all over the place these days.]

And what 'stuff' is that? [It isn't quite a sneer, if only because that level of effort is reserved for Superman.] I wasn't aware running a business and contributing to the city's betterment were illegal acts- to the contrary, for that matter.

[Wally is so below his radar that Lex isn't even bothering a subtle threat in return. Those are reserved for his underlings; only Superman warrants overt ones.]

[ So he was going to pull that card? Wally knew he had the dirt on him, but it wasn't like he had the proof to back it up, and not that it would matter here, of all places. ]

Riiiight, and I'm sure Santa Prisca doesn't ring a bell at all. Or maybe what you gave Superboy?

[Lex's reaction, needless to say, is one of flat irritation, rather than smug denial.] I have no idea what you're talking about, and I would never associate myself with someone who named themselves after Superman. [Oh, the scathing condescension.]

[ Scathing hate of Superman? Check. Smug, annoying nature? Check. Wally was definitely sure that this was Lex, but- Wait-

He groaned. ]

You're probably from a different- [ He paused. No; he wasn't going to reveal that possibility. ]

[Give him a while, because that's how long it's going to take for him to realise just who you are. Probably a good thing that he isn't his older self. He leans in to the console.]

Metropolis, huh? Might as well just bring the whole city. There's like a bajillion people who are from there, or know it.

[This kid looks like he was hit by every obnoxious and, quite frankly, tasteless fashion that was popular not too long ago; it's enough to make Lex dismiss him out of hand, the nagging back-of-his-mind similarity to someone aside.]

A bajillion people from Metropolis are here, you say? [The question and borrowed phrase not only drips with derision, it's surrounded by a block of solid disgust.] Who else is here?

[You mean all the best fashion, right? Course that's what you meant. Kon sits back again, kicking his legs up onto the small cleared area on his desk. Folding his arms over his chest.]

A bajillion. You got me and ya got some others that aren't as important.

[Kon's sense of fashion is so bad, if Lex had any idea what sort of connection he had to Kon, he'd shove people at Kon to dress him. Right now though, the cavalier attitude and the nagging similarity are annoying him. The obvious ego bumps him up a notch from 'utterly ignorable' though. At least for now. It means he might be able to be put to use at some point, with some proper motivation.]

Do you have any particular 'qualities' to back that claim, Mr...?

[Superboy lives to serve, Lex and if he's annoying you, that's good. You know, with the right twisting of words and phrases, you might just be able to get that to happen. The putting to use thing, not the fashion.

Oh he's smug. Now, does he go for SB or Kon?]

El. Kon-El.

[Either that or Boy, Superboy.]

[Oh Rao no.

As soon as this post was up and he'd told Lois about it, he flew straight to a public location to make a video. He doesn't care if Lex knows he's here- he'd have found out sooner or later anyway, he hasn't been keeping it a secret.

And maybe if he knows someone is watching over him things won't get as dangerous now as Kal fears they will.]

Luthor.

[The previously relatively pleasant for Lex expression vanishes immediately, replaced by a near snarl, with loathing full in evidence.]

Superman. [It practically sounds like an expletive, coming from Lex.]

[He rises from his chair, but not fully, obviously working on not launching himself from where he sat. It is readily apparent that he is working on controlling himself, his expression contorting from the snarl to something more calm.]

Come to gloat, have you? [By the time he finally speaks, he is fully under control once more.]

[At least, it looks that way.]

[He isn't sure what to say or do. His mind is running one hundred possible scenarios and none of them are good. He's already located Lois, Kon, Bruce and the batkids with his heartbeat and he's doing the same for all his friends.

No one who's met the Luthor in his world would call him paranoid.]

No, I- [He can feel his hand clench, how to handle this?] I was also bought here against my will, all the foreigners were.

We're all in the same boat right now.

[No one who knows Lex well in his world would, either. That said, his expression suggests he doesn't believe anything coming out of Superman's mouth right now.]

Of course we are. And this has nothing to do with when you brought fellow Kryptonian war criminals to Earth before returning them when they didn't suit you.

Even a simple man can connect the dots, Superman. [Here, he sneers.]

[Kryptonian war criminals? It's not hard to guess he's referring to the phantom zone. The incident with Chris, perhaps? But it's simply weird to bring that up now.

And all the sounds his body makes don't really much up with the ones the Lex on his world would have and this is all just very confusing.]

Lex... I think- there's some people that come from different worlds. I've meet some that come from a different universe than mine.

I think that's what's happening here.

[After staring at the screen for a few moments, studying Superman's appearance, Lex relaxes slightly, the usual smug confidence returning over the simmering loathing reserved for Superman. He does appear minutely different. Small things that Lex should have picked up earlier ~~if he wasn't too busy leaping to irrational reactions based on the appearance of that alien~~.]

Yes, of course I should listen to a version of the alien who tried to take over the Earth for his own race and recently helped destroy several hundred million dollars worth of property.

[Admittedly that last item was caused by the Joker, but Superman didn't stop him soon enough. Details.]

I'll be keeping a eye on you, Superman. [LEX OUT.]

[Nope he is not joining this bandwagon, thank you. But he is damn well onto you, Lex. Consider yourself Batstalked.]

[It's okay that Batman's decided to keep tabs on Lex, he just found out Superman is here, so FULL PARANOIA MODE is now engaged.]

[As soon as she's heard about this from her husband (and begun swearing), Lois makes a bee-line for her quarters in Earth Sector (while swearing).

Odd, how that's the building turning into talk-to-supervillains-location.

Finally she sits down to review the post and (after she's stopped swearing) deal with it.]

Renewing acquaintances is even more fun, wouldn't you say?

[Lois Lane is here as well? Or at least, she appears to be Lois Lane; she looks somewhat different, but there are very few women- much less people in general- who would dare assume such a level of familiarity with him. Color Lex surprised. Particularly since she appears somewhat older- closer to his age, if not older- not that that is something you'd ever catch him saying to her or to anyone who might pass it on to the woman in question. There are just some things you don't suggest to a woman who takes 'investigative reporting' and turns it into what might as well be an extreme sport.]

Lois. I wasn't expecting you to be here. [This is actually a truthful statement, and that's all she's getting. He is not touching that question from Lois 'This only sounds like an innocent question' Lane.]

Why not do it now? Since we're already talking, I mean.

I prefer interacting with people in person.

[Certainly than separated by a computer network he doesn't control. Then again, given this man's rather scruffy appearance, that might not be a problem here.]

[Well this guy's got some flash to him. And Kaiyss is good at recognizing flash.]

New areas, new opportunities though, am I right?

Indeed you are.

[Kaiyss might be able to recognize flash, but can he recognize corporate menace?]

I do my best to take advantage of new opportunities.

[Batstalked +1]

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