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[b]Belle Reve Prison
March 26th, 2005
1600[/b]

Lex Luthor had finished touring the devastated Belle Reve prison alongside warden and head of ARGUS Amanda Waller. Waller had not been here when HYDRA attacked and killed SHIELD Director Timothy Dugan. It was a good thing, too. If she had been, her blood would be staining the walls that was now covered with SHIELD agents’ and guards’ alike. Funny thing about human blood is that it stains everything. The cleanup crew attempting to wash away the massacre that happened merely days ago would be at it for weeks yet. It was the final proof of humanity’s staying power in this world. Even their life essence clung to this world.

It was beautiful in its morbidity.

HYDRA had been brutal. This had been their coming out party, and they wanted people to fear them. Luthor was impressed at the lengths they went to try and prove a point, even if it was a bit old fashioned. HYDRA was a caveman in modern times. They would kill a few people, scare the peasants, and eventually be stopped by the costumed crusaders. They were too visible. Their rhetoric and goals were to broad. World domination? Please. To change the universe and to exalt humanity were Luthor’s destiny, and were honorable pursuits.

Still, their bombastic machinations were a valuable asset to Luthor and his associates. HYDRA’s form of villainy would draw attention and resources away from anyone looking at Luthor or his allies. That was always valuable.

“Mr. Luthor?” Waller roused him from his own thoughts.

“Yes?” he turned to her, giving her his full attention. Waller was a shrewd woman. There was a reason she was head of ARGUS. Before her appointment, she was one of SHIELD’s best counter intelligence officers. Amanda Waller had nearly killed more people by direct order than Lex, and that was something he admired. He could tell she didn’t trust him much, which made him respect her even more. If she could even sniff a hint of deception on him, she was even sharper than his information led him to believe.

“Will you be able to fix it? Belle Reve is critical to metahuman crime abatement. It’s the only location that can safely hold dangerous super powered individuals. We’ll need some new tech to convince Washington to invest heavily in rebuilding it and upgrading it. They already sank a fortune into its original design.

”I think you’ll enjoy my speech, Director Waller,” Luthor smiled as he stepped up to a makeshift stage his people had been setting up during the tour. Standing behind the podium was Lex’s private bodyguard Mercy Graves, standing tall and focused in a pressed black suit that contrasted her pale skin and long, blond hair. She stood at six foot four, and looked as dangerous as she was beautiful. She was dangerous, of course. Luthor hired only the best, and there were few on Earth like Mercy.

One of his other assistants applied some makeup as another briefed him again on his prepared notes. He didn’t need either, but he was in a good mood and didn’t want to shoo them away in front of so many onlookers. Today was a day to be a leader to the American people. It was a day to show them who truly was the future of humanity.

His tech director gave him the signal that he was live, and Luthor began, “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am, for those that may not know, Lex Luthor, principal owner and CEO of LexCorp. I am broadcasting to you today from Belle Reve Correctional Facility in the heart of Louisiana. As you undoubtedly know, this very prison was attacked without warning or mercy by the cowardly terrorists calling themselves HYDRA. These vicious villains managed to murder SHIELD Director Timothy Dugan, as well as dozens of guards and SHIELD agents. While we can do nothing to bring them back, we can make sure this never happens again. Today I am announcing that LexCorp will fund the rebuilding of Belle Reve to ensure it is a safe place to hold the superpowered villains that threaten our world. Along with this, LexCorp will continue to provide SHIELD and other government agencies with all the technology they need to keep the world safe from these threats. Humanity’s greatest asset is its resilience. Today I ask you not to fear HYDRA. Together with LexCorp we can overcome this terrible blight on our world.”

A polite round of applause rolled through the assembled crowd of Belle Reve guards and administrators, and Luthor smiled warmly at them. Behind him, Mercy said, “Wonderful speech, sir. Concise, powerful, and to the point.”

“Thank you, Mercy,” he said as the two of them made their way off the stage. “That’s how I prefer to operate.”

“Well, that was generous,” Waller deadpanned at Luthor.

“It was,” he smiled. “And I assume SHIELD and ARGUS will be just as generous as I was in our next round of contract bids. Now, please excuse me, Director Waller. I have other matters to attend to.”

Mercy escorted Luthor to the roof, where his private helicopter was waiting. He beamed every time he saw the beautiful machine. He had designed it personally from the ground up, and there was only one of them in existence. Its sleek, white exterior was adorned with the LexCorp logo and shone brightly in the setting sun. Its proprietary engines could keep it in the air for days if need be, and the interior was big enough to hold a conference room so he could work on the go.

“Mercy,” he smiled at his bodyguard, “please tell the pilot to head for Metropolis. I have a meeting to attend to in the conference room.”

“Yes, sir,” she nodded and headed to the cockpit.

He entered the business section of the chopper, where he found his associates were already on their designated screens, “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m happy to report that went swimmingly. LexCorp will rebuild Belle Reve, and The Society will control the world’s most high security prison.”

"But what of Superman?" one of the shadows on the many screens lining the room asked. "You believed he suspects you now, no?"

Lex took a calming breath and clenched his fists. These peons knew better than to mention the alien in his presence. It was bad enough his plans necessitated working with them, now they were disobeying his rules?

"Superman, for all his braying about truth and justice, holds no clout," Luthor smiled confidently. "He has nothing to prove my wrongdoing or the wrongdoing of anyone on this council. He won't be a problem."

"What is our next move, then?" another member of The Society asked.

"Our next move is to wait," Luthor preached patience. "We need to monitor HYDRA. See what their next moves are. Then we can decide where to strike while SHIELD and the authorities are distracted. I'll be in touch."

He ended the transmission as Mercy entered the board room, "We're laying low?"

"No, my dear," Luthor smirked. "I'd just like to do some business off the books."

Lex sat back in his chair and picked up a figurine of Superman that sat on the conference table. He twirled the little vigilante in his hands and pondered what came next. Looking down at the face of the model alien, he said, "Soon, my powerful friend. Soon you will grovel before me, and the world will join you."