^^ the Flying Cruise Concept ^^

— Erin —

The city below me was teeming with a plethora of various schools of fish, from the massive bait-balls of the smaller fish to the shimmering fields of silver darters, turning the entire clear sea into a vibrant paradise for them. The shark and other predator-shaped drones swam through periodically, snapping up the weak or diseased fish before they could infect the rest, serving a twofold purpose; to cull the herds before they damaged themselves, and to teach them a fear of predators, so that when they were released into the wild they would have the basic instincts that they would need to survive and breed naturally.

"Well, it's happened. The material sample you sent to Star Labs, the cheap 3% metallic fabric, Luthor sent someone to steal it. I've got the evidence already sending to the UN and the Board of Commerce, which deals with corporate espionage and sabotage and the like. Also, you now own 49.9% of the LexCorp Shares. I showed my face whilst buying the shares, looking like this." Helix grinned, the expression very odd on a stern-looking ~70 year old white man. He shifted back to his normal form, and took a bow as I clapped politely.

"Wonderful... and it's legal evidence, permissible in court?" I clarified.

"Correct, I made sure to obey every law about civilian evidence gathering that exists, and also the League Charter Laws. It is both irrefutable and immune to tampering, as separate copies were sent to the leaders of every single country that was affected, as well as the Ambassadors that will be deciding his fate. He has no options except to attempt to sway the verdict with his lawyers, the Gods of Spinning." He scoffed wryly.

"Good... and he's been advised to sell some of his remaining stock to a third party in order to pay for these lawyers, supposedly the best that exist?" I smiled.

"Correct, also, I am said third party, a supposed business associate of Vandal Savage." He grinned, and was suddenly a tall Egyptian-Arabic man, wearing a dapper business suit that complimented his skin color quite nicely.

"Ooh, sharp!" I clapped again, impressed.

"Thank you, I accept all praise, as it is warranted." He nodded, speaking a perfect match of the native accent of the Egyptian coast of the Mediterranean.

"Alright, So how much did he sell?" I asked.

"Only .2 percent, which gave him several hundred million dollars, and he has bought a veritable army of lawyers with histories in getting dictators off from war-crimes charges. But, with that, you have 50.1%, and with our capital we can force a buy-out." He nodded, returning to his preferred form.

"Not yet... wait until the trial, when he can't react, so that the Board is forced to vote him out and seize his shares, then sell them to attempt to stop the buy-out. Thus, while we will lose the buy-out, we will gain all the shares they sell, and thus own even more of the company, even when they return what remains of his shares to him." I grinned.

"Right, very true... we can sell some of them later, to prevent a monopoly of the Stock, which would be disadvantageous." He muttered a few calculations, and I watched as the stock market opened, showing my net worth.

I whistled softly. "Helix, you've done very well for us... maybe too well... I don't know if I like the idea of being a Mega-Billionaire Megalomaniac..."

"Well, you're not a megalomaniac, first of all; and all of that money is going to things that need it. You're not a Tyrannical Oil Tycoon or something." He laughed.

"Hmm... on that note, map all the Natural Gas and Oil pockets under the ocean? And run the numbers to see if we could power the world with fusion/fission, if we destroyed all the Oil and used it as pure energy, with no smog from burning it, in several dozen locations around the world?" I grinned.

He laughed. "Ahh, trying to make the world go Oil-Free? It's possible, but you'd put considerable strain on the world economy."

"Could my new wealth offset that strain? If I created new jobs for the workers displaced by this, creating a system in which the people mine like they always do, for rocks and whatever else, and then I use them as fuel for Fusion and Fission, then have the Synthesizers make more rocks from the resultant ash, and put them in a different place, therefore ridding the world of its toxic dependence on Crude Oil? I could even do it over a number of years, to allow a period of adjustment... plus, to avoid a monopoly, we would start other companies doing the same thing, and sell them to young, smart entrepreneurs, after a series of strict regulations are passed into law, preventing it from turning into an Energy Race or something!" I tapped my feet in a rhythm, excited.

"Boss... that's a little on the rough side..." he hummed.

"Is it possible, is all I want to know. Details can be ironed out, but the concept, is it realistic?" I asked.

"If you want to go toe-to-toe with the Oil Companies and the Coal Companies and all their Billionaire friends who have the Congress and the World Economy in their pockets, sure... but the energy companies will just become the next Oil Magnates. They'll react the same way, humans always do." He shrugged helplessly.

"But at least they won't be poisoning the world with their greed, right? It's the significantly better of the two evils?" I clarified.

"You're Correct, on that point, it would be a marked improvement." He acquiesced. "But we'd still need Oil in the interim, and older cars and automobiles would still need gasoline."

"We can make it with the Synthesizers, something plant-based which still works properly, without the carbon emissions. The oil companies can sell that stuff until it's phased out, which will probably take a good thirty years, but the major problem will be fixed, Namely: the smog that's ruining the planet. We'll have to make sure the car companies of the world are aware of the switch, and will make sure their future designs are capable of running on electricity, as well." I waved a hand casually.

He smiled. "Of course... I'll start drafting the plans, and see what I can take, so far as all this goes. When we get the Landfills, it becomes much easier. The trash itself would work, if we wanted to just create energy, but for creating jobs, we'd need a little more; you've thought of that, with the mining jobs. Plus, more Coast Guard and Navy, to patrol the waters and make sure pirates aren't attacking the islands. Even if they're protected already, the militaries of the world will appreciate the extra work, to make them seem more useful, and therefore receiving more Funding from their governments... this plan of yours will definitely ruffle every feather that exists, Boss." He sighed.

"Good. Unruffled feathers make me twitchy." I smirked.

He laughed loudly, and I smiled as we got to work, waiting for the Trial of Alexander Joseph Luthor Jr. to begin at The Hague.

—

I'd forgotten how long the Justice System took to get anything done. After four weeks of back and forth, debates, then public and private hearings, finally a subpoena was publicly served to Lex Luthor.

In that four weeks, I managed a lot of damage to his public image, revealing every dirty little secret, every illegal experiment, and with the evidence provided, it just piled on to the charges against him. I knew he'd get out of it, of course, so I kept some of the smaller cards to myself, knowing that they'd prove good distractions in the future. After all, Al Capone went to prison for Tax Evasion. Lex Luthor would go to jail for a Workplace Violation, if I had to stoop that low.

I also managed to create the Academy of Physics, Architecture, Theory, and Humanity, or the PATH Academy, my College in the City. It was one of the only buildings that was full of air, in the aquatic city, and would be home to a number of young scientists who would go on to work at Star Labs, Kord Industries, Wayne Tech, and many more, in the years to come.

But once the day came, you couldn't have kept me away from that Trial with a nuclear bomb. I watched from the back of the court room, burning with excitement, as Lex Luthor entered, dressed in an immaculate Italian suit; fitted and custom-made, no doubt. He did cut a nice figure, I was forced to admit, just to be honest with myself.

The International United Nations Court of Justice was not very impressive to look at. Five judges, from five different, supposedly diverse countries, yet they still managed to all be old white men. It boggled my mind, the immeasurable stupidity of it all. Either way, I figured he'd get out of the charges, but as soon as the judges demanded we turn off our phones, I nodded to Helix.

He bowed his head, and disappeared through a small portal, letting me see through his eyes in my glasses, (this model was seemingly normal sunglasses,) as he entered the Office of the LexCorp Board, in the form of the old man who represented me to them.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we're ready to begin? Surely you've seen this coming, no?" He chuckled, and took Lex Luthor's seat at the head of the table, reserved for the Owner of the Company.

I smiled and looked back at the courtroom, as the judges called everyone to order. "Ve now begin ze Trial of one Alexander Joseph Luthor, Jr., for ze alleged crimes of Aiding und Abetting a Terrorist Organization, Soliciting ze Service of a Terrorist Organization, Aiding und Abetting a Mass Murderer, Conspiracy to Commit Acts of Terror on a United Nations affiliated Country, Illegal Human Experimentation, Illegal Veapons Development und Deployment, Repeated Corporate Espionage, Illegal Insider Trading, und many more crimes, too numerous to list at zis time, so ve vill say etcetera; how does ze Defendant Plead?" The lead judge asked, his heavy German/Swiss accent amusing to me.

"Not guilty to all charges, of course, your honor. Need I even explain my choice?" Lex Luthor answered, standing up and chuckling smoothly, turning the charm on full-throttle.

"Seet down, Mr. Luthor, und save your jokes for von who vishes to be your friend, hmm?" The Swiss man said instantly, unamused. "Ze Panel hears ze Defendant's Plea as Not-Guilty, confirm with ze Panel, Defendant Alexander Joseph Luthor, Jr.?"

He sat down, looking slightly perturbed. "Correct, Your Honor."

"Das is Gut. Ve vill now allow ze Opening Statements of ze Plaintiff Representative, ze Queen Diana of Themyscira. Princess, you may have ze floor?" He bowed his head courteously to Diana, who stood up in a fitted pantsuit, and nodded back.

"Thank you, I will begin the Opening Statements, your honors." She looked out at the crowd, catching my eye, and smiled.

'Well shit... she's not going to recommend the Death Penalty, is she? Dammit...' I sighed. 'Other measures will have to be taken, I suppose.'

'Are you sure, Boss?' Helix asked cautiously.

'Not those measures!!! Come on, Helix, you know me better than that!!!' I frowned at him mentally, as the opening statements continued, and Luthor's attorneys began spinning a tale of grand and ludicrous proportions, impressive even to me.

The charges in their entirety were listed off, making even the spellbound jury, who'd fallen in love with the story of Lex's rise to power and his portrayal as a self-made man, raise their eyebrows a bit.

'Sorry, Boss, you just sounded kinda ominous when you said that.' He hummed softly, and then silenced when the evidence began being listed, shown in several formats.

'Yes, I suppose I did... but he'll wish he was dead, so ominous is probably the right word... do you have the dose ready? Loaded into a non-Metahuman tranquilizer round in my pistol?' I checked, as the defense attorneys began refuting a lot of the evidence, surprisingly finding a loophole that made a large portion of the evidence impermissible, perhaps two thirds. Still, even one tenth of the charges was equal to the death penalty in almost every country except Norway, so I wasn't worried just yet.

'Yes, Boss. It's all ready for you. Just remember to aim for the calf. Anywhere else, it reaches his heart too quickly, and he goes into cardiac arrest.' Helix advised.

'I know, it's my plan, Helix!' I sighed, and silenced him, watching as Diana delivered another impressive rebuttal, calling Luthor to the stand, and then drilling him about their own personal meetings, and him being the unquestionable villain in nearly all of them, leaving the jury again spellbound, but by her, this time. They were quite like little sheep, honestly, following whoever led them properly.

A few hours later, as the closing arguments were approaching, he forcefully reactivated the signal. 'Boss... did your plan account for the fact that your Luthor is an Android?' He asked guiltily.

'... what? Verify what you just said, Helix?' I narrowed my eyes, and looked at his screen, frowning even deeper when I saw Lex Luthor enter the Board Room. "Sorry I'm late, everyone, I had to go to The Hague for a little matter I'm sure you're aware of... I believe that's my chair, sir."

'Is that one an android or this one? Because either way...' I growled mentally.

'This one is the real one, no doubt, Boss. The one in your sight has a cybernetic brain, and a biological body, probably force-grown from his own DNA... it also has a pretty nasty alien bomb behind its heart... what should I do?'

"Your honors, might I interject? I have news that will irrevocably alter the trial?" I stood up and strode towards the divider.

"Excuse me, Ms...?" The speaker asked, recovering swiftly from my interruption.

"Doctor Erinyes Filakash, the individual who brought these charges to the Court." I nodded.

"Ahh, Herr Doctor, my apologies. Vhat news iz brought to ze court?" He asked politely.

"The Lex Luthor in this room is an Android with a bomb behind its heart. I will prove it, without laying a hand on him, or harming him in any way. Is this Acceptable?" I asked.

He stiffened, and glanced at the Lex on the witness stand, ten feet to the panel's left. "If vat you say is true, und I am not saying I believe you, zen ze individual Alexander Joseph Luthor is considered Fugitive, and in violation of a Subpoena! Provide your evidence quickly, please, before you waste zis court's valuable time, Herr Doctor?"

I opened a portal under the Lex Luthor in front of Helix, and he fell a good ten feet, landing in front of me. "I present Lex Luthor. Now, Lexie, you're going to defuse that bomb in your little puppet's chest, or I'm going to hug the both of you and drop us into the sun. I'll survive. Will you?" I smiled dangerously.

He stood and straightened his coat. "Ahem! I'm sure there's no need for that! Your honors-"

"You 'ave not been recognized to speak, Mr. Luthor, and until you defuse that bomb of yours, you will be considered in attempt of this court's lives!" Another of the judges, a British man, snapped at him.

He halted, and nodded. "Well... I admit I did not account for this course of action... well, disarming the bomb is easily done." He clicked a button from his pocket, likely to defuse it, but I saw an opportunity. The bomb was not big enough to escape my armor, but it was clearly strong enough to destroy the room and everyone in it. He was truly defusing it, then, because he would never kill himself, but if it went off, and no one got hurt...

I quickly made the decision, and activated the bomb mentally, diving towards the Android. All of my thinking had taken less than a hundredth of a second, what with my sped up brain. As I reached the Android, I wrapped it in my jacket, squeezing it tightly and absorbing the entire explosion before it even expanded beyond the robot's abdomen.

Luthor, -and most of the room,- flinched at the concussive sound that originated between my arms, then took a step back as the pieces of the cyborg slapped wetly to the ground, spilling out across my feet and then the floor of the courtroom a dark red with a syrupy consistency. I gulped, but lost the battle, puking up my breakfast into the trashcan Diana swiftly offered me. "Fuck me that's disgusting!" I groaned, spitting the awful taste out of my mouth.

She nodded and patted my head. "You did well, reacting that swiftly. The bomb would have likely disintegrated the building and everyone in it, had you not acted... I believe that means that we find the Defendant, Lex Luthor, Guilty of all Charges, as well as the attempted Assassination of the UN Grand Court, by way of a cyborg-assisted suicide bombing?" She asked sharply, glaring at Lex and grabbing his collar, forcing him down into the seat his cyborg had originally occupied.

They looked at each other, and nodded. "The court and jury will deliberate-"

"The jury... finds the Defendant Guilty of all charges, your honors, and votes for maximum penalties, up to and including the Death Penalty, if it pleases the court." The speaker for the jury stood up shakily, and wrote the answer swiftly on a piece of paper, handing it to a bailiff.

"Indeed... Vell, it seems you have gotten your vish, Alexander Luthor..." the speaker judge hummed.

"Pardon me?" Luthor asked slowly.

"You said during your testimony, or, your Robot Assassin did, that you did not vish to die und leave behind no name to be remembered. But, Your name vill be remembered, 'Lex' Luthor. But is it vhat you vanted?" He asked, and handed the paper to one of his fellow judges.

"The court finds the defendant Guilty, and will deliberate on the Penalties. Sentencing will be in twenty minutes. Bailiffs? Lex Luthor is Fugitive, and will remain in our custody until such a time as a decision has been made." The judge then banged the small stone gavel in front of himself once, ending the matter; instantly, two bailiffs cuffed Luthor, leading him towards the back rooms, likely a cell of some sort.

I dropped my jacket and boots into a shadow, sending them to be cleaned, and sat on Diana's desk. "Well... that was dramatic."