Wasteland Universe, Top Floor of the League Tower.
After an entire day of work, Luthor was reclining in his chair, enjoying a massage from Madame Masque.
Though the Wasteland was still facing material shortages and occasional natural disasters, the overall situation was stabilizing. Luthor had managed to organize everything efficiently.
With Old Man Logan no longer ambushing him at every turn, Luthor could finally enjoy his downtime. In the past, whenever he wasn't working, Logan would always pop up out of nowhere, demanding supplies.
Luthor never understood how Logan did it. Despite upgrading security multiple times, the mutant still found unexpected ways to infiltrate.
Luthor would never forget the time he was about to change into his sleepwear. He opened his wardrobe, only to be met with Logan's all-too-familiar face grinning at him in an unsettling way.
Thankfully, Logan wasn't an enemy. Otherwise, Luthor would have real concerns about his personal safety.
Ever since Alex had a talk with Logan, the old mutant hadn't shown up again, allowing Luthor to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
As expected, only someone of Alex's level could keep that beast under control.
Still, Luthor wasn't used to this newfound peace. His usual work rhythm involved intense focus, and without the daily battle of wits against Logan, he found himself oddly restless.
Perhaps it was time to talk to Clark about launching "Amazo," the secret AI-powered android project. With the research left behind by Doctor Doom, the plan was finally ready for execution.
As Luthor was lost in thought, the quiet of his office was suddenly shattered by a burst of noise.
Madame Masque, who had been massaging his temples, sprang to her feet. In an instant, a nano-laser pistol materialized in her hand.
Luthor was startled by her sudden movement and opened his eyes just in time to see a glowing portal of pure energy forming before him.
Recognizing the magic used to create the portal, Luthor quickly raised his hand to stop Madame Masque.
A moment later, Tony Stark stepped through, casually waving in greeting.
"Long time no see, Luthor."
Luthor had expected Alex, but upon seeing Stark instead, his expression darkened.
"Yes, it has been a long time. Isn't this the same Tony Stark who once mocked my meticulously designed mech suits? What's the matter? Have you fully embraced the path of magic now?"
Luthor and Stark had met a few times before. After officially joining the Overseers, Stark had worked with Mister Fantastic to aid in the Wasteland's reconstruction.
The Watchtower, currently orbiting Earth, was partially Stark's handiwork. However, their first meeting hadn't been particularly friendly. Everyone knew Stark had a sharp tongue, and when he saw Luthor's power armor—which bore some resemblance to his own—he couldn't resist making a few remarks.
Luthor, being one of the world's smartest men, wasn't one to back down. The two argued, and their rivalry was born.
That said, neither of them had truly been angry. Smart people respected each other, and given that they were in the same field, they had formed an odd mix of rivalry and camaraderie.
Ignoring Luthor's jab, Stark glanced meaningfully at Madame Masque and gave her a casual wave.
She responded with a cold snort, turning her head away, refusing to acknowledge him.
There was some interesting history between Iron Man and Madame Masque. Her father, Count Nefaria, had once sent her to infiltrate the Avengers as a spy.
During a confrontation with Iron Man, she was permanently disfigured, which led to a twisted obsession. She fell deeply in love with Stark—but in a way that made her want to carve him up piece by piece.
Of course, that was a long time ago. Madame Masque was well aware that the Stark before her wasn't her Iron Man. That one had died long ago. Still, seeing his face stirred something inside her.
Sensing her tension, Luthor gently took her hand, silently offering reassurance. Then, he turned back to Stark, frowning.
"Why are you here? If you're looking for something to do, the Lunar Base could use someone like you to maintain order."
"The Lunar Base? I was already planning to head there," Stark replied with a smirk. He then got straight to the point, opening a magical storage space and unloading its contents onto the floor.
"I'm here to deliver your goods. Remember that trade Alex mentioned? The final shipment has arrived. I used Pym Particles to shrink everything for easier transport."
Luthor immediately stood up, quickly moving past his desk to examine the tiny stacks of supplies now covering the floor. His face lit up with excitement.
"Is this everything?"
"Of course. Now stop staring and sign here, cue ball." Stark waved his hand, summoning a file from thin air. The document contained a contract prepared in advance by Old Bruce Wayne.
Luthor silently took the contract and shot Stark a glance. "If you were a real delivery guy, I'd file a complaint."
"Hah! Great joke."
Stark chuckled dryly, then casually walked past Luthor and made himself comfortable in his chair.
Luthor quickly skimmed through the contract, then pulled a steel-tipped pen from his chest pocket and signed his name. When he looked up, he saw Tony Stark sitting comfortably in his chair, making himself at home.
"I appreciate the delivery, but you can leave now. I need to handle the distribution of these supplies, and I don't have time to entertain you."
Placing the contract on the table, Luthor waved his hand dismissively, clearly signaling for Stark to leave.
"You think I want to stay here longer? I've been here half a day, and you haven't even offered me a glass of water," Stark quipped, crossing his legs. But then, his expression turned serious.
"The supplies have arrived, but there's a problem with trade between the two universes."
Hearing this, Luthor narrowed his eyes. "A problem? What kind of problem? Do they not trust us, or is some other faction interfering?"
"A bit of both."
Stark shook his head, then stopped holding back and quickly recounted what had happened during their trip to Flashpoint-One.
At first, Luthor remained calm, listening with a neutral expression. But when he heard that Steppenwolf had been acting under the orders of Darkseid himself, his expression darkened noticeably.
"So what you're saying is… Darkseid has set his sights on that Earth's universe?" Luthor furrowed his brows, unable to calm the storm in his mind.
"Yes. And he could launch an attack at any moment. Pietro and Kara stayed behind in that universe. If anything happens, they'll notify the Overseers immediately," Tony Stark said.
Hearing Stark's words, Luthor's expression darkened.
Having worked under Darkseid for over two years, Luthor considered himself quite familiar with the tyrant's nature. To put it bluntly, Darkseid was an uncompromising military fanatic.
Any civilization that caught his attention was doomed to destruction. And to make matters worse, Darkseid was notoriously arrogant and vengeful. Since he had been repelled on that Earth, he would return with a vengeance a hundred—no, a thousand times worse.
When that happened, that Earth would suffer the same fate as Luthor's old home.
"And what about Alex? With something this big happening, you mean to tell me you haven't informed Alex?" Luthor paced back and forth, his tone sharp as he questioned Stark.
"I already told him," Stark replied casually. "Alex said he can't leave right now—he has more important matters to handle. He's leaving this entirely in your hands and Speedster's."
"Me and Pietro?" Luthor stopped in his tracks, his frown deepening.
"Of course. You two are the ones overseeing trade with Flashpoint-One. You just signed the contract, didn't you forget?" Stark tapped a finger on the document lying on the desk.
At that, Luthor couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, so that's why you're acting different today. You didn't come here just to update me—you came to dump this mess on me, didn't you?"
"How is this dumping anything on you?" Stark raised an eyebrow. "You're the one who signed the contract. You're also the leader of the Wasteland Federation. That's the responsibility of the guy sitting in that chair."
"Hmph."
Luthor snorted, but then asked, "And what does Pietro think? How are we handling the next phase of trade?"
Stark stretched lazily before answering, "Pietro wants Batman to take the Bat-Family over there to keep an eye on things. With them watching, there shouldn't be any sudden surprises—at least for now. Meanwhile, we need to be ready on our end. If anything happens over there, we need to be prepared to jump in."
"So Pietro wants to use Wasteland's resources to help them?" Luthor said, his tone unreadable.
"Strictly speaking… it's a trade."
Stark smirked.
"Once Batman arrives, he'll handle the next phase of negotiations. The only change is that the deal won't be with old Bruce Wayne anymore—it'll be with the Justice Society. If we don't manage this right, future trade could be…"
He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
"I understand. I'll handle it," Luthor said.
They were both intelligent men—no further words were needed.
With a firm nod, Luthor walked toward the floor-to-ceiling window.
Outside, the sun was setting, casting a deep crimson glow across the sky.
Gazing at the blood-red horizon, Luthor narrowed his eyes, and the murderous intent in them was unmistakable.
"Apokolips, Darkseid… I've worked too damn hard rebuilding this wasteland. Things are finally starting to improve.
If anyone dares to take food off my table…
Then I'll burn their whole damn kitchen to the ground."
.....
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