Blue light legacy

Chapter 23: The Final Gambit

The Justice League had assembled at the Watchtower in full force. Cal stood at the front, his face set in hard lines as he glanced around the room at his teammates. Each one of them had faced countless battles, but the tension in the air was undeniable. Lex Luthor had pushed them to their limits, and now, with his newfound power and the threat of Amazo still looming, this felt like a showdown unlike any they had faced before.

Batman was the first to break the silence, his voice low but commanding. “We know Luthor’s base of operations is somewhere in Metropolis, but it’s heavily shielded. Any conventional assault would be a suicide mission. He’s prepared for every possible angle.”

“Then we need to come up with something he won’t expect,” Wonder Woman interjected, her fierce gaze fixed on the holographic map of Metropolis hovering in the center of the room. "He’s been targeting our weaknesses, studying our tactics. We need to hit him with something unpredictable."

Cal clenched his fists, the faint blue glow of his suit flickering in response to his heightened energy levels. The solar suit, built to absorb and store immense energy, was still new to him, but he was getting used to the power it granted. It was almost like a living extension of himself now, responsive and ready.

“What about a two-pronged attack?” Cal suggested. “If Lex is expecting us to come at him head-on, we split up. One team takes Amazo, and the other confronts Lex directly. He’s smart, but he won’t expect us to divide our forces against such powerful threats.”

The Flash nodded, his arms crossed as he considered the plan. “If we’re careful, it could work. Amazo may be strong, but he can’t be everywhere at once. And if Lex’s attention is split, it’ll give us a chance to catch him off guard.”

Batman looked around, evaluating each member of the team. “Then it’s decided. Wonder Woman, Flash, and I will deal with Amazo. Cal, you and Kara go after Luthor.”

Kara stepped forward, her face resolute. “He’s been targeting Cal all along. Lex thinks he can outsmart him. Let’s show him he’s wrong.”

With the plan set, the League members exchanged nods of determination. They moved to the teleportation pads, each one mentally preparing for the confrontation that lay ahead. The fight against Lex was personal for all of them, but for Cal, it was something more. Lex had nearly destroyed him, nearly taken Kara from him—and that was something he would not forgive.

As Cal and Kara arrived in Metropolis, the once vibrant city was eerily silent. Skyscrapers that had once symbolized hope and progress now stood in partial ruins, their structures scarred by Lex’s reign of terror. Smoke hung in the air, and the streets were empty, giving the city a ghostly stillness.

They made their way through the abandoned streets, alert for any sign of Lex or his forces. Suddenly, a shrill metallic screech echoed through the air, and Cal looked up just in time to see Amazo descending from the sky, his gaze fixed on them with mechanical precision.

“He found us faster than we thought,” Kara muttered, stepping into a defensive stance.

Cal grimaced, glancing back in the direction of where Batman and the others were supposed to be handling Amazo. Either they hadn’t engaged him yet, or this was a clone, another one of Lex’s tricks.

“We don’t have time for this,” Cal said, his voice tense. “We need to get to Lex.”

Amazo’s eyes glowed as it scanned them, clearly preparing to engage. But before it could move, a figure darted in front of them with blinding speed—the Flash, already in motion.

“Go!” Flash shouted, zipping past Amazo in a flurry of red lightning. “We’ve got this!”

Wonder Woman and Batman dropped in next to him, both launching an immediate assault on the robotic foe. Cal nodded at them, grateful, before he turned to Kara. “Let’s move.”

They shot off towards LexCorp Tower, the iconic building now surrounded by a shimmering energy field. Cal could feel the power radiating from the barrier, a wall of impenetrable force designed to keep out even the strongest metahumans. But this was no ordinary situation. Cal was stronger now, his body brimming with solar energy stored within the suit, and he intended to use every ounce of it.

Cal held up his hand, focusing as he let out a concentrated beam of black light vision, carving a path through the force field. The barrier cracked under the pressure, its energy destabilizing. Together, he and Kara flew through, landing inside the tower’s lobby.

The space was dark, illuminated only by dim red emergency lights. The silence was broken by the unmistakable voice of Lex Luthor, echoing through the empty corridors.

“You’re persistent, Cal. I’ll give you that. But you’re a fool if you think you can stand against me. This city is mine.”

“Your arrogance will be your undoing, Lex,” Cal called out, his voice filled with anger. “Metropolis doesn’t belong to you. It never did.”

Lex’s laughter echoed through the speakers, filled with a chilling confidence. “Is that so? Look around you, Cal. Everything you see, everything you love, it’s all been under my control from the start. You and your Justice League are relics of a bygone era.”

The lights flickered, and suddenly Lex was there in front of them, a new suit encasing his body. It was sleeker and more powerful than any armor he’d worn before, crackling with a strange energy that made Cal’s skin prickle. Lex had used the serum on himself, just as Cal had feared.

Lex grinned, a dangerous glint in his eyes. “Shall we put this to the test?”

Without waiting for a response, Lex lunged forward, his suit amplifying his speed as he closed the distance. Cal met him head-on, their fists colliding in a shockwave that reverberated through the tower. Kara darted to the side, launching a series of rapid heat vision blasts, forcing Lex to back off momentarily.

But Lex was faster than either of them anticipated. He retaliated with a counter-attack, his fists crackling with energy as he struck Kara, sending her crashing into a wall.

Cal’s vision blurred with rage. He surged forward, striking Lex with a series of rapid blows, each one fueled by the pent-up anger and frustration he’d carried for so long. But Lex was relentless, matching him strike for strike, his new abilities giving him strength to rival Cal’s own.

“Is that all you’ve got?” Lex taunted, dodging a powerful punch before delivering a crushing blow to Cal’s midsection, sending him reeling.

But Cal wasn’t finished. Taking a deep breath, he accessed the reserves of energy within his suit, channeling the stored solar power into his body. His fists glowed with a brilliant blue as he launched forward, his attacks faster and stronger than before.

Lex staggered under the onslaught, his smug grin faltering. For the first time, he looked genuinely unnerved.

Kara, regaining her composure, joined the assault, her punches landing with pinpoint precision as she and Cal worked in unison. Together, they drove Lex back, their combined power overwhelming even his enhanced suit.

But Lex wasn’t done. With a roar, he activated a surge of energy from his suit, creating a blinding flash that forced Cal and Kara to step back.

In that brief moment, Lex slipped away, disappearing into a hidden passageway that opened in the wall behind him.

“He’s getting away!” Kara shouted, moving to pursue.

Cal held out a hand, stopping her. “Wait. This isn’t over, but he’s not going to leave Metropolis. He wants us to chase him.”

Kara looked at him, her eyes blazing with determination. “Then let’s finish this, once and for all.”

Cal nodded. “Together.”

As they made their way deeper into the bowels of LexCorp, Cal felt a sense of grim determination settle over him. This was the fight he’d been preparing for, the battle that would finally bring an end to Lex’s reign of terror. And he knew, as long as he and Kara stood together, they had a chance.

The showdown with Lex was far from over—but they were ready.