[color=gray][INDENT][COLOR=SILVER][SUB][SUP][H3][b]UNKNOWN[/b][/H3][/SUP][/SUB][SUB]The Black (Uncharted Space) - Andromeda Galaxy[/SUB] [SUP][i]Two Years Ago[/i][/SUP][/color][INDENT][color=#00ff00] “The B.R.A.I.N. Inter-Active Collective has spoken.”[/color][/indent][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/01999ab1-cb01-748d-bd12-afb19d17251c.webp[/img][COLOR=SILVER][SUB][SUP][H3][b]EARTH[/b][/H3][/SUP][/SUB][SUB]Sol System - Milky Way Galaxy[/SUB] [SUP][i]Now[/i][/SUP][/color][INDENT][color=#6aa84f]“Does someone want to tell me why we’re losing?”[/color] The doors to the Infinity Inc. control center flew open, crashing against the adjacent walls aggressively. Through the doors entered a man with a flowing mane of red hair atop his head, a trimmed beard outlined a jawline that could only have been chiseled from marble. His long coat billowed behind him as he walked swiftly, all the while flanked by a beautiful woman in a pantsuit. By all measures of a man, he was a perfect specimen. Lionel had raised his only viable heir to inhabit every element of the übermensch. Not only was Lex’s physical form honed from hours of rigorous exercise, but his mind was one of the greatest in the world. Perhaps greater than Lionel’s own. [color=#ffffff]“Mr. Luthor-”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“Enough,”[/color] Lex held up a hand, moving to the nearest monitor before checking on Hope’s current vital readings. [color=#6aa84f]“All I’m seeing are catastrophic failures across the entire system. I thought we designed the best superhuman this world had ever seen and you’re telling me some alien with a leather fetish is tearing her apart without breaking a sweat?”[/color] [color=#ffffff]“Hope has a strength output based on our collected data, it’s set to rival-”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“Don’t even mention his name,”[/color] Lex snapped, hanging his coat up as he pressed a button on a nearby console. Klaxons blared around the center as Hope took another blow, further systems starting to fail and not near enough time between hits for the nanite system to begin repairs. [color=#6aa84f]“Were it not for him, we would have had more time for testing and procedure, instead my father opted to rush our project to get ahead in the polls. Should Hope lose this fight, all of our efforts will be in vain. I don’t much like looking like a fool in front of the world.”[/color] He continued, motioning towards his body guard to pick up the silver case on the closest shelf. [color=#6aa84f]“Mercy, if you’d please.”[/color] His body guard, Mercy, followed closely behind him, opening a nearby suitcase and presenting a pair of gauntlets. Putting his arms inside, Lex bowed his head slightly to allow Mercy to place a neural interface over his head. [color=#6aa84f]“I’m assuming direct control, get the optics on screen.”[/color] Lex ordered, [color=#6aa84f]“And for the love of mankind, can we airdrop the Paladins some weapons that stand a chance at making a dent?”[/color] [color=#ffffff]“Sir, the weapons that were reverse engineered from the ax-”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“I don’t care that they haven’t been tested, it’s a reasonable risk. There’s an eighty-one percent chance of a favourable outcome and I’m willing to take those odds.” [/color] [color=#ffffff]“The replicated alloy is a synthetic approximation at best, our understanding of this, for lack of a better term, ‘celestial steel’ is rudimentary.”[/color] The nearest researcher argued, [color=#ffffff]“It could be inherently flawed and fail in the field.”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“And it could perform exactly as I designed, doctor,”[/color] Lex countered, [color=#6aa84f]“Your understanding may be rudimentary, but I know the relic on a molecular level. Trust the process.”[/color] [color=#ffffff]“As you wish, sir,”[/color] He needed nervously, [color=#ffffff]“Deploying the drones now, this is Command to Paladins, new armaments inbound.”[/color] [color=#6aa84f]“Hope,”[/color] Lex pressed a button on his neural interface. [color=#6aa84f] “It’s time for round two.”[/color][/indent][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/01999ab1-cb01-748d-bd12-afb19d17251c.webp[/img][indent][color=#d9d2e9]“Woo, what got into you?”[/color] The woman laid back in the silk sheets, her chest breathing heavily as beads of sweat dotted her skin giving her a radiant glow in the subtly lit room. A spare ray of sunlight snuck between the drawn blinds adding a golden halo to the otherwise crimson waterfall of hair that gently framed her face. The penthouse apartment sat overtop of New Troy, outflanked only by the Daily Planet and the Luthorcorp Towers. It was one of Morgan Edge’s buildings and home to many of Metropolis’ more wealthy occupants. [color=#d9d2e9]“You didn’t come all the way over here just to bang my brains out,” [/color]The woman stated, standing from the edge of the bed before wrapping a short, satin rope around her shapely, toned figure. [color=#d9d2e9]“Not that I’m complaining, mind you,”[/color] She added with a sly grin before picking up a nearby crystal decanter, [color=#d9d2e9]“Scotch?”[/color] [color=#ff9900]“Sure,”[/color] Ryan replied absent mindedly as he sat staring towards the draped window. Lana was likely back at their apartment excitedly phoning wedding vendors. He could see her face lighting up as she called one after another making plans for next spring. He let out a long breath, accepting the drink from the redheaded other woman as she sat in front of him on an ottoman by the window. [color=#d9d2e9]“The guilt is cute and all, but you perform that well and I’m going to want a round two.”[/color] She smiled, motioning towards the phone that sat just beneath the tousled sheets by Ryan’s thigh. [color=#d9d2e9]“The ol’ ball and chain giving you the third degree about where you are?”[/color] The phone rang again as Ryan moved his thumb across the screen to ignore it. That had been the third time in the past five minutes his mother had tried to call him. An only slightly better option than Lana, but as his mother already viewed Lana like a daughter, it would devastate her to find out that Ryan was screwing around behind his fiancé’s back. Especially given that the woman was- The entire room shook with the force of an earthquake catching Ryan by surprise as he reached for the woman to steady her. She clung on to him, her seafoam eyes looking into his before she recomposed herself. [color=#d9d2e9]“And I thought we shook the room before,”[/color] She brushed Ryan off standing again before looking out the nearby draped window, peering the curtains apart before her disappointed tone reached Ryan’s ears. [color=#d9d2e9]“The supers are brawling in the street again.”[/color] She commented, before perking up, [color=#d9d2e9]“Guess you’re not going anywhere.”[/color] His phone started to ring again, this time the name [color=#93c47d]‘CHLOE SULLIVAN[/color]’ illuminated on the screen, catching the woman’s interest as she picked it up. [color=#d9d2e9]“That’s not Miss Lana Lang,”[/color] She teased, waving the phone mockingly out of reach, [color=#d9d2e9]“You’re not running around on me too are you?”[/color] [color=#ff9900]“No she’s-”[/color] Ryan stopped himself, [color=#ff9900]“Was my brother’s best friend.”[/color] [color=#d9d2e9]“And you helped her manage her grief?”[/color] The woman winked, “[color=#d9d2e9]It’s okay, [i]lover[/i], I’m not the jealous type.” She tossed the phone to Ryan, “But I still think you should get it.”[/color] Her tone suddenly became decidedly less playful. [color=#d9d2e9]“In fact, I insist.”[/color] Containing a sigh, Ryan swiped the screen and put the phone on speaker before speaking. [color=#ff9900]“Hello?”[/color] [color=#93c47d]“Ryan, thank goodness I got through,”[/color] Chloe’s voice echoed through the bedroom. [color=#93c47d]“You’re not going to believe this, but Clark is back. He’s in Smallv-”[/color] [color=#d9d2e9]“Point taken, she’s just a friend”[/color] The woman smiled, reaching over and hitting the ‘End Call’ button on the screen of Ryan’s call.[color=#d9d2e9] “Bored now, so are you going to [i]fuck[/i] me, or do I need to beg on my knees like a [i]good girl[/i]?”[/color] Ryan looked down at this phone, his eyes blinking in disbelief. The screen lit up again as Chloe called back. He looked from the phone back up to the woman who slowly began to undo her robe, letting it fall to the ground. Picking up the glass of Scotch, Ryan tipped his head back and drank the entirety of the vessel. The warmth of the liquid filled his mouth, burning his throat before he turned his phone off and tossed the glass to the ground. Wrapping his belt around his hand, Ryan stood and flashed a mischievous smile. [color=#ff9900]“Get on your knees, Tess.”[/color][/INDENT][/INDENT][/COLOR]