See No Evil: Legacy (ch. 72) (Patreon)

"Hhhnnnghahhh…!" I groaned, stretching and feeling every joint in my body pop. A satisfied sigh escaped me as I rolled my shoulders, glancing at Cass who was looking at me with an expression of disgust. So, I turned my head and popped my neck, making her nose crinkle.

"Bad. Gross," Cass remarked, crossing her arms as she looked away from me. Feeling refreshed, I took a sip of the coffee that was resting on my desk. The strong flavor washed over my tongue -- I had released my blend of coffee grinds, and even without the control-alt-deletion of the economy, the blend wasn't do too well. It was currently my lowest rated product with a single star and accusations that I was trolling people. Either that, or I had shit taste.

I didn't have shit taste. It was everyone that didn't like my coffee that had shit taste.

"Your taste buds are just weak," I remarked to Cass, making her look back at me. All the while I typed on my keyboard, micromanaging a half dozen things that needed my attention. Things were progressing in line with my expectations and with what the Batcomputer had predicted. Between the two, I had a relatively good grasp on the situation.

Bruce Wayne launching his political career was expected. It seemed like a natural progression for him now that he was no longer Batman. And, because of it, Lex Luthor running for president to counter him, and thus the Justice League, was also expected. And because Lex Luthor didn't have a history of orgies with supermodels, he would win by a landslide.

Doing my part to help make Lex the President of the US might seem like I was helping him(,) but it would limit his power. Officially. I'm sure Lex had a good hundred ways to subvert the official restrictions being President would place on him. And that was fine. I'd be an idiot to think that he wouldn't have contingencies and fully intended to leverage the position to help him in some way.

But, to subvert those restrictions, he had a limited number of ways to do so. If I monitored those ways, then I could check his actions and influence.

"Not weak. Normal," Cass argued, her tone matter of fact. Her speech was getting better. And she was getting a lot better at understanding words. Now we only needed to sign when she encountered a more complicated word that she didn't recognize. She worked hard to get so far. To think it was less than a year ago that she was eagerly devouring sign language just to begin to learn how to communicate with others.

A slight smile tugged at her lips, reading my pride for her accomplishments in my body language. She appeared proud of herself for a moment, and she had plenty to be proud of. She had come a long way.

"Done?" Cass questioned, walking over. Reading was a hit and a miss with her so far, so I could only imagine what the screen looked like to her as I coordinated several global conspiracies. My operations in Mexico and south America were going well. A number of cartels have been eliminated almost overnight due to a combination of the release of my version of cocaine and a series of assassinations.

"Not quite," I said, getting an alert that the Light had brainwashed one of my brainwashed agents. Whereas I went to control thoughts, they utilized Queen Bee's pheromones(.) The target was an important US senator. It was a subtle thing, I noted. A letter with a faint scent attached, to put him into a suggestible state, with the letter itself providing the instructions they wanted him to follow. With my camera placed in the office, I quickly read the letter myself to see what their aim was.

There was no conflict of interest, I decided as I reinforced the order with my own brainwashing. Brainwashing had to be subtle. The Light had learned it's lesson with Bialya a few years ago. They had brainwashed a world leader and decided that he would give over his nation to Queen Bee, who he was a stout antagonist against. That, I suspected, had been a vanity project for said villainess.

However, it taught them an important lesson. Brainwashing only worked when the actions you made your thrall do were in line with what they might theoretically do. A complete one eighty was just asking to be caught. The only way to get away with it was to make small adjustments(,) so that change was done over time and no one would question it. In this case, the Light was just securing support to make Lex Luthor president.

Even better, he was as vocal about his support about Lex as he was about Saint Quartz becoming the new dollar bill. There were already a number of early adopters that were spreading the word. Because of it, Sainthood Enterprises was still growing with barely a hitch while most companies were completely collapsing. With their collapse, the various divisions I had prepared saw a huge influx of customers.

Everything was lining up for my company to become a mega-corporation. One that if everything panned out, would completely dominate the planet.

I was blocked from further monitoring the situation by Cassandra reaching out and covering my eyes with her hands. "Done," she decided for me, knowing that I would be here all day if she didn't take action. Nodding, I obediently took a step back from my computer while issuing a few last-second orders -- basically, dividing up the various workloads. Miranda wouldn't be happy, but she was capable. Tifa as well.

Leaving me free to turn off the computer. I felt Cassandra kiss my cheek before she uncovered my eyes, apparently delighted that I had been so obedient. However, the adorable moment came to an abrupt end when I got an alert for something that I was dreading. Cass felt the change, going very still as an expression of alarm passed over her face. "What's wrong?"

The Light just threw a wrench in my timeline.

"The Justice League just left Earth," I answered, my lips thinning and my mind racing. I gave them a heads up for the sake of avoiding this exact scenario. Did they not understand that they were playing into the hands of the Light? This was exactly what they wanted.

I ran a hand through my hair as I formed a message and updated Lex Luthor about the development. I expected he already knew, but I was looking to score brownie points more than anything. I think he was still a little sore about my threat to blow up Metropolis. At the same time, I made an inquiry as Concerned Citizen about what the plan was.

Things were way too chaotic for the Justice League to up and leave. The entire planet was in an uproar. We needed the Justice League here. What were they thinking?

Barbara was quick to respond, "Losing faith in the Justice League would destroy Earth." Was her response. And I could see it. The Justice League was the one pillar that hadn't completely crumbled in the past few days. If the public discovered that they were galactic criminals(,) or that they had been mind-controlled at all(,) it would shake the public's faith. Still, leaving wasn't a much better alternative.

Then I got another message. A link. Clicking it, I saw a plan detailed by Bruce Wayne. It was very detailed(,) with a contingency for just about every eventuality. However, it could be summarized in a simple sentence.

We know Vergil has counters for the Justice League, so use them until we get back.

A rather deft move to force me to reveal the cards up my sleeves that I had prepared to fight the League if the occasion ever called for it. I should expect nothing less. That said, it was irritating as fuck.

"So, I'm not trusted enough to be included in the planning(,) but am trusted enough to be a part of the plan," I mused to myself. It really sucked to be caught with my pants down like this, but it wasn't a complete loss. It was also an opportunity -- sponsored heroes from Sainthood Enterprises. It would help build my reputation(,) and by the time the Justice League came back, my teams would be firmly rooted in place. If the League wasn't careful, they just might find themselves replaced.

I gave a quick order, following through with the plan that Batman had detailed. Teams of androids would be mobilized and equipped across the globe in the short term(,) with more androids put into production. With my access to Belle Reeve, I could use some equipment load-outs sourced from some of their confiscated tech. Maybe go with themes. I would brainstorm later.

"Sorry," I told Cass, knowing that she was disappointed with the outcome. I wanted to step away from work, but this wasn't a situation I could blow off. Especially when I got an answer from Lex Luthor and a location to be at in an hour. Isolated. A good place for a secret meeting. Or an assassination.

"Owe me," Cass decided. "Come with?" she asked me, eyeing the message as if she were trying to read it. She frowned when I shook my head. The message said to come alone. A red flag, to be sure, but I suspected I knew why. Cass pouted until I gave her hand a squeeze. "Take B with you."

I nodded, "That's the plan." I said, confirming my attendance with a thought. It would mean putting 2B in one of my cards, but she was a damn good ace to have up my sleeve.

Now, all that was left was to see what the Light wanted.

…

"St. Jude," I was greeted with a frosty tone as I landed in the clearing designated by Lex Luthor. Upon my arrival, the first person I saw was Queen Bee. Ra's Al Ghul was with her, along with Brain, Black Manta, and Klarion the Witch Boy. My gaze lingered on the latter, who offered me a too wide smile and seemed to be unable to contain his giggles.

Nearly all of the Light was in attendance in a clearing smack dab in the middle of nowhere in South Dakota. Nothing but farmland for as far as the eye could see. Corn stalks acted as walls in the cut out clearing, forming a circle of privacy.

I offered a polite smile, "Queen Bee. I do hope you're not upset about the bomb." I caught the faint scent of something sweet. Pheromones. A small dab of them could enthrall a man with a letter, so I could only imagine what dealing with the direct source would do. No one had given me any warning, likely hoping that I would become enthralled by her, and thus more easily controlled.

Instead of just allowing myself to be enslaved, I had to do something a little drastic. The chip embedded in the back of my neck was altered ever so slightly. It still protected and disguised my thoughts, but now it had a secondary function.

In effect? I was mind controlling myself to prevent myself from being brainwashed by Queen Bee.

"I wouldn't say no to an apology," Queen Bee requested sweetly, testing the waters.

To that, my smile widened as I joined the group that were all standing at arms length. "I'm afraid I wouldn't mean it," I answered bluntly, making the slight smile on Queen Bee's face slip. Klarion started to giggle uncontrollably, clutching his stomach as a smile consumed his face. "But, there are no hard feelings on my end. It was just business."

"I wouldn't call white phosphorus under my desk as 'not having hard feelings'," she returned, her tone decidedly even. Looks like she was pretty mad. "I wonder, what was it that I did that angered you so?"

My smile remained affixed to my face, "Nothing. A point needed to be made and a horrible death does send a powerful message. On that, I'm sure you agree." I returned, tilting my head ever so slightly as her eyes flashed, revealing a hint of the murderous intent that lurked beneath. She didn't like that I had gotten one over on her. Not at all. I would say it went beyond not liking me; she actively hated me.

Not good, but manageable. Things would have to be arranged to account for the actions she would take against me. Best to prepare for her to make her move, then use it as justification for when I killed her.

"Very much so, St. Jude," Queen Bee said, and I wasn't the only one that heard the cold promise in her voice. I could see the others making their own plans, each intended to use the spat between us as leverage one way or the other. Perhaps to offer help, or to lead one of us into a trap. With allies like these, I really didn't need enemies.

"Lex Luthor will not be joining us," Ra's decided to inform me.

"Campaigning has limited his time," Brain added, and… yeah. Brain was what the name implied -- on top of a mobile metal pillar was a translucent done that housed a freakishly large brain. Why his modular voice gave him a french accent, I didn't really know. For someone so smart that their intllgence was comparable to Lex Luthor's, you'd think that he would design a body that didn't resemble a trash can. Maybe it was some kind of modern art statement I was too 'uncultured' to understand? "A rather… unexpected development."

A subtle jab at me destroying the economy.

"I'd be very disappointed in all of you if you couldn't turn something like this into an opportunity," I returned without a hint of shame. "Honestly, if you didn't want the economy and trust in the world leaders to vanish, then you shouldn't have set it up so nicely. You teed up the opportunity, what else was I supposed to do if not take the swing?"

"Show some restraint(.)" Black Manta remarked, his voice cold. "You are a member of the Light. All your actions must be cleared with us before you take them."

My smile widened, "Then I can expect you to return the favor then, right?" I asked, knowing some of their plans. Black Manta was the one I was most in the dark with -- he was a terrorist at the bottom of the ocean. It wasn't exactly easy to get a bead on him.

That earned a dismissive scoff from him, giving me my answer. I very pointedly rolled my eyes at Klarion, earning another round of giggles from the Chaos Lord pretending to be a child.

My standing with the Light was on shaky ground. I was included in the organization, I was a member, but I was not trusted because I got the drop on them rather than let them rope me in by force as another one of their pawns. They wouldn't trust me until they saw that I had been humbled in some way. They were all strong personalities that were used to being at the top of their respective food chains. My entrance made them feel threatened.

The smart thing to do was to take a strategic loss. Set things in motion so I would get some egg on my face. But, that wasn't the best course of action. If I wanted to establish myself in a group like this, then I had to keep pushing. Push and push and push until one of them eventually gave way and I carved out my own niche in the group.

Before the verbal spar could continue, a loud bang filled the air. My gaze snapped to the source of the noise to see a portal appear -- a boom tube. I had known about them, but it was my first time seeing one in person. Faintly, I saw a few figures stepping through the wormhole, emerging from inside dark shadows that were framed by twisting strands of light. Once they neared, I saw a familiar face.

Vandal Savage. A tall man with an almost exaggerated build. Broad shoulders, barrel chest, dark hair(,) and most noticeably three scars that were slashed across his face. Walking next to him was a distinctly non-human figure. Smaller, thinner. Instead of skin he had a lime green exoskeleton that was highlighted with dark blue sections. He wore a type of ceremonial robe that left much of him exposed.

He almost looked human, in a way. Two eyes, a mouth, but no nose. He also had dark lines over his eyes to give the appearance of eyebrows. How much of that was an affectation to put humans at ease, I didn't know.

However, trailing behind them both was a hulking figure clad in black armor. A black Scarab. I didn't know much about them. My only real memory of them in the show was the scene when he bodied the team, and there was a lot of grunting off screen that seemed pretty sketchy without context.

I wanted that armor.

"Greetings, I am Diplomat. It is good to finally meet face to face," Diplomat greeted us with a practiced smile. And the action showed that he had been studying humans. Learning our gestures and body language.

Smiling was a really rare act in nature. For most species, showing your teeth was an act of aggression. It could be a coincidence, but I didn't think so with a name like Diplomat.

"I am here to formalize our arrangement on behalf of the Reach. I understand that certain time tables have been moved up and our invitation to Earth can be expected soon," Diplomat began, his light green eyes sweeping over all of us. His gaze seemed to linger on me for a moment before moving on. I wasn't the only one given special attention either(,) because Klarion was regarded almost fearfully.

"Very soon," Vandal answered. "One of our members shall take a position of political power in the coming days." he answered, earning a small nod from me.

"Bruce Wayne, the other candidate, has just dropped out of the race," I offered. Bruce would have known that the race was lost the moment that Lex threw his hat in. Now, Lex just had to be sworn in and he would become the president of the country. Meaning that his company would become vulnerable. Jason should come through for me.

In the coming months, I fully intended to pull the rug out from underneath Lex and take his company from him. At that point, Sainthood Enterprises would become the single largest company in the entire world several times over.

Vandal nodded, "All is going to plan on our end. Soon, Earth will welcome the Reach and we shall be elevated from a single meager planet." he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. I didn't show my thoughts about that.

"Agreed," Diplomat said, smiling as well. It was the smile of someone that thought that all things were going to plan. "Then we shall expect our invitation by the end of the month. Our strategy is within this data chip -- first popularizing a soda brand filled with a chemical that makes people… susceptible to suggestion, then a campaign of good will to your impoverished nations. By the end of the year, your world leaders will answer to us and Earth shall be incorporated into the Reach Empire."

I'm guessing I would have a role to play in that. I needed to come up with a slogan for soda.

Vandal Savage took the data chip from Diplomat, nodding in agreement. "Preparations have already been made. Everything shall go smoothly on our end."

"Then it shall be a simple and painless transition," The Reach alien said. And, with that, another Boom Tube appeared. Diplomat offered a small bow, sharing a cunning smile with us all before the two Reach aliens stepped into the wormhole and vanished from sight.

So, I was called here for a formality. That was annoying.

"Quick question, why are we bothering with the Reach?" I asked the Light, looking to Vandal Savage specifically. "There's playing with fire, then there's sticking your dick in it."

"We shall be elevated as lords over Earth. The Reach is an intergalactic Empire with resources that we can barely comprehend," Vandal answered, and I made a show of rolling my eyes again.

"Right. Sure. And the real reason?" I asked, not believing him for a second. "They fought the Green Lanterns to a standstill -- I'll admit that's a rather lovely feather in their hat, but they don't have anything worth risking Earth over. Their tech isn't anything that we can't make. Their knowledge isn't anything we can't steal. So, why bother with them at all?" I questioned, not really seeing the logic behind the move.

In the show, the Light dropped the ball. They were conquered by the Reach, along with Earth. They gambled and lost. And, I don't really see a reason for it. There wasn't much to gain from the move.

"Technology that I'm sure you would provide," Queen Bee made a snide remark, not happy with my interjection.

"Naturally," I agreed.

Vandal regarded me with an even and measuring look. I couldn't quite describe it, but it was as if he was measuring how much he should tell me. Which was fair. I intentionally portrayed myself as a wild card, and they were inherently dangerous for obvious reasons. "The Reach are an opportunity to fulfill a much broader plan," he told me, making me cross my arms.

A broader plan? The end goal was for humanity to dominate the universe. And, based on what I knew of the show, it wouldn't be through peaceful negotiation. I also had the advantage of knowing the aftermath of the second season…

Ah. So that's how it was. "You're instigating a war between the Reach and the Green Lanterns," I voiced, and Vandal's eyes widened a fraction at how quickly I pieced together the plan. "The Reach and the Lanterns are the dominating forces in the universe. Distracting them with each other makes an opportunity for us. And others," I tacked on.

"It is a lesson you have learned well. Chaos creates opportunities," Vandal remarked, offering a small approving nod.

"And the Justice League with their hands tied will tempt other forces to attack Earth. Still risky, but it makes sense. Nothing builds a reputation quite like beating the shit out of the toughest guy on the block," I mused, seeing the logic behind the plan now. The gains from the Reach would just be icing on the cake. What the Light wanted was to create an opportunity and tie up some major players while knocking down some minor ones.

Honestly… it sounded like a plan that I might cook up. It made sense. However, I knew that the Light had screwed the pooch at some point, which put me against the plan.

Queen Bee scoffed, "Please do not compare the manipulation of intergalactic forces to a street gang," she said, her tone scathing.

I aimed a very sweet smile in her direction, "They're the same thing, I'm afraid. From a street corner to the edges of the universe, the rules of power don't change. Only the scale of what they're being applied to changes." I returned, making her eyes narrow into a glare while Ra's chuckled.

"Yes," he agreed. "The rules never change. Reputation, shows of force, instilling fear… in my time, power has remained the same. It is only my understanding of how to wield it that had deepened."

"A familiar lesson," Vandal agreed, undercutting Queen Bee, much to her displeasure. I imagine that he was very familiar with it given his age. But, at the same time…

Vandal Savage had walked the earth for fifty thousand years. That was an insane amount of time. Perhaps I was underestimating the challenge of it, but it felt… small. Vandal Savage was Genghis Khan. Gilgamesh. Alexander the Great, too. Half of the great leaders and conquers we're either him or sired by him.

And it felt like he had precious little to show for it. Was that his intention? Or, despite his age, did he not understand power as well as he claimed he did(?)

The same could be said for Ra's -- while his time was much shorter, he still walked this planet for about a thousand years. And what he had to show for it was a league of Assassins that got their ass kicked by Batman on the regular.

I wasn't underestimating them. It made me more cautious, than anything. In less than a year, I had made so much progress. I soared to heights that I never knew existed.

But, what would happen in a hundred years? Or a thousand? What would be left of me? Of my legacy? Would Lowtown crumble to dust? Would Sainthood Enterprises be chipped away at until it splintered apart?

Would everything that I accomplished be just a blip on the timeline?

I had spoken to Klarion about what my goal was. My dream. To carve my name into the analogues of history so deeply that I would never be forgotten. Not by Earth, not by the universe.

Yet, a small worm of doubt wormed its way into my heart(,) that for all I accomplished, I would end up like Vandal Savage and Ra's Al Ghul. Men that had their accomplishments, but peaked years ago and accomplished little since then. Even if their plans stretched into millennia, the fact of the matter was that I held their lives in my hand and all their plans would be for naught.

It was something to ponder.

What exactly would I have to do to make sure that my legacy and power would never wither away(?)