3918/The Man of Tomorrow and the Demons Daughter

The Man of Tomorrow and the Demons Daughter
Date of Scene:	20 February 2018
Location:	Lex Luthors Office- LexCorp Tower
Synopsis:	Talia joins The Light
Cast of Characters:	Lex Luthor, Talia al Ghul

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Lex Luthor has posed:
It probably isn't often that someone besides the Batman takes enough interest in Talia to actively track her down... but so it happened.

Arriving via mob messenger in New York, Talia was given a letter -yes, an actual letter- via her mailbox. "I have a proposal for you, if you have an interest in shaping world events to better serve humankind... and ourselves. LexCorp Tower awaits, if you're interested. -LL"

Certainly to the point, at least.

If Talia comes to Metropolis, she gets a warm welcome from Team Luthor, and directed to Lex Luthors main office, where Team Luthor lines the hallway to the main doors. She's let in without issue... and comes into the Man of Tomorrows office. Lex Luthor himself is standing, facing the glass wall out into Metropolis.

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul -does- respond to the invitation, but only partially out of curiosity. 'Keep your friends close and you enemies closer', but which category does Mister Luthor fit into? She travels to Metropolis via a private jet, and is met by Team Luthor at the airport.

The woman also travels alone, which is curious enough in its own right. Dressed in a neat, stylish business suit of emerald green, she removes the coat and jaunty fedora to hand them to someone at the door. Heels thunk softly on the carpeted floor of the office.

"Mister Luthor, I presume?" the woman offers, her voice unaccented and yet thick as honey.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"You'd presume correctly, Ms. Al Ghul." Lex Luthor responds as he looks out into Metropolis. Mercy and Hope are flanking his desk... but when Talia comes in, they move to flank their employer.

Their look to her suggests they know her reputation, and are giving a respectful assessment of her. The Amazonians know their stuff, it seems.

"I had hoped you would be interested. You and your... resources... would bring many options to the table." Lex says, before he finally turns around, and heads for his seat, behind the desk. Mercy and Hope move to flank him, behind it.

Then, he offers a hand to a chair in front of his desk, "Please, sit, if you like. Would you like refreshments?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul arches a brow when she's addressed, a small smile touching those red lips. She appears to be unarmed, but that shouldn't come as a surprise even under the worst of circumstances. "Refreshments would be most welcome, thank you. Bourbon?"

The Amazons are each given a glance before she moves to the offered chair, pulling it out and seating herself. She makes no effort to dissuade any possible threat or alleviate concern. Were their positions reversed, she would certainly have her own guards.

"Your letter was most intriguing, to be sure. As a responsible citizen, how could I refuse the opportunity to join like-minded individuals in shaping world events?"

Lex Luthor has posed:
"I like your style, Ms. Al Ghul. May I call you Talia?" Lex gives, before he presses a button on his desk, "Nancy, Ms. Al Ghul would like a Bourbon. Have a bottle brought up." There's no reply; there's no need. Lex Luthor has issues a command, it would be carried out.

Then, he leans back and looks back to Talia, "With the world being as it is, people who have the worlds actual best interests at heart are finding it increasingly difficult to operate without dealing with the teams of enhanced individuals working to counter their plans." Lex presses a button then, and a display pops up out of thin air between them, above the desk. It has just enough height so they can see each other clearly... and Talia can see a number of boxes on it with ? marks, "I propose an adaptation to these teams, one that can serve the best interests of Earth, since clearly the governments of the world are lacking in wise guidance. A council of those who see the actual problems of our planet, and do what needs to be done to bring enlightenment."

A pause, "I'm calling this council, The Light. A Light to bring forth that enlightenment."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia al Ghul crosses one leg over the other, the skirt parting neatly up to mid-thigh. The stockings either blend in quite well with her exotic skin tone or she's wearing the pumps without them. "Talia would be fine, Lex." she replies, keeping the playing field even.

She regards the display with all the open boxes, head tilting curiously. "You have already stepped out into new territory, of course." the woman offers. "Most of these discussions focus on singular pronouns, and yet you open with the proposal of a council. I am considerably more intrigued than I was ten minutes ago."

"It has always been a weakness among those with vision that we operate alone, while our opposition is in League." Talia agrees, with emphasis on the 'L' word.

Lex Luthor has posed:
"A weakness that must be dealt with, if we're going to make lasting changes, despite the individuals who think that their ridiculous notions of 'morality' somehow make them superior." Lex agrees. The skirt parting briefly gets Luthors attention, since it's an obvious ploy for it... whether or not he was swayed doesn't show.

Another button is pressed, and the first slot is filled with Lex, with the title L1. "All members of The Light will be equals to one another; no exceptions. The designations in no way suggest a hierarchy. L1 is simply a matter of seniority, being the one to first propose the Council." Lex Luthor continues, before another button is pressed, and a rotating hologram of Earth appears, "Obviously, we all will have our resources our own influence. We each have our own plans, to a point. This last part /must/ change, if The Light is to survive, and thrive. We can no longer afford to pretend doing things on our own can work."

Another button is pressed, and sections of the world are highlighted, "What I bring to the Council is obvious; a legal front for The Light to operate from. I own and operate a corporate Empire completely legally. I have the resources to fund any operation we consider, and the company fronts to do so if we need a legitimate front. I also have a space station in the works under LexTech as a major project that will serve LexCorp as a space hub and more, in time. This station can and will have consideration given for use to The Light."

Another button is pressed, "You, on the other hand, have major connections to underworld elements across the planet, have no need to worry about appearing legitimate, and have the resources of your organization to bring to bear, without legal consequences. Correct me if any of this is wrong."

Lex smiles, warmly. The man has charisma, and he let's it show as he finishes, "Does all of this sound interesting to you, so far?"

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia's expression remains schooled and mostly neutral, although she is clearly intrigued. "One of the negatives to being completely legal and legitimate is that you are also exposed. Vulnerable. You depend too much upon your opponent's willingness to play by the rules." She pauses, then adds. "An observation, not a criticism."

Talia considers his words for a moment, the smile broadening a touch. "My resources are not presently aligned with my father's, but everything else you say is certainly correct." Her gaze meets his own. Evenly. Resting elbows upon the arms of her chair, she steeples her fingers together and adds. "Please continue."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"I have less than legal resources as well, but your point is the very reason why the Council is a necessity." Lex agrees, and points out.

"All members of The Light will be anonymous outside of one another. We will know each others identities for the sake of cooperation and trust among ourselves. We will /not/ give our identities to anyone else, barring a full majority Council vote; and even then, if the person whose identity is to be exposed says no with good reason, that person gets full veto power over the present vote... though the Council may propose again if those reasons are dealt with. Adding members of The Light will require a unanimous Council vote, in turn. Our plans must start to work through this Council in an overall strategy. We do what we must to maintain our resources, or to gain more, informing The Light of doing so. This way we keep off of each others toes, can inform one another of potential setbacks, and offer support if we are able to one another. In exchange for this forced informational silo, we can work to build The Lights overall influence in the world, and see to it that each member of The Light can make sure world events do not escape our overall notice."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Talia looks thoughtful for a moment, nodding. "The Council seems like it would help to keep us out of each other's way, if nothing else." she agrees. "The availability of support will need to be vetted over time, of course. Trust tends to be a rare commodity among megalomaniacs." Her upper lip twitches with the sarcasm.

"Mutual trust will be the biggest issue, I think. Or should I say mutual DIStrust. But I think it's possible, by taking small and careful steps. Combining complementary skills and resources are how our opponents maintain their strength of position. We should learn from that."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"The intention is to work towards more than 'keeping out of each others way', but the first step is as you say, building that trust and support. The foundation needs to set before long term plans are set in motion." Lex nods, "one long term goal I eventually intend to propose is the infiltration or elimination of the SHIELD network and fleet. That network is where much of the support for the Avengers and Alpha Flight comes from. Deal with it, and containing the enhanced teams becomes much easier."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
Steepled fingers tap lightly together and Talia nods. "Agreed. One of their greatest strengths is their support network. We should not only develop our own but find ways to counter theirs." The woman looks thoughtful for a moment, then offers. "There will be those who question your right to lead this Council. And those who seek the inevitable power-play to assume personal control. It is the natural way, when one puts so many alpha predators in the same cage together."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"I will not be the leader, only the founder. There's a reason this Council will rule itself by vote, rather than by dictatorship." Lex notes, "Now, if the Council later decides to vote a leader into a universal veto position? That would be their right. Equal though, means equal." Lex then presses another button, and the globe changes... to known SHIELD assets, "In the short term, we'd be best served in planting agents in the UN itself. SHIELD is famous within the community that knows about them for having a robust spy network... but an initial indirect approach would serve us well, I think."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
That idea seems to please Talia, and she lets her smile show it. "I agree that SHIELD is too well fortified for immediate infiltration. That would have to be done as a very long game. The UN, on the other hand, is riddled with vulnerabilities to those who are clever and resourceful." Hands unsteeple and she sits up a bit more. "Might I recommend multiple insertions from a variety of sources? The risk is that our collusion could be uncovered, but the greater chances of success far outweigh the risk."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"Once the first Council meeting is set, it'll be my first proposal. I have a couple others I'm considering for this Council, but I have one almost certain yes in Magnus, AKA Magneto." Lex presses a button, and Genosha is highlighted, "I think it's safe to say that having mutant -and a national leaders- support has all kinds of potential for this Council. Assuming the UN recognizes Magnus as the head of state, we'll also have a member within the UN itself, with full legal access." Lex then smiles to Talia, "And another in you, potentially... since I haven't heard any objections so far."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
"I'm in." Talia replies, when Lex puts the question more pointedly. The conversation so far has been a mixture of sales pitch and infomercial, after all. "Recognize that my assets are not necessarily my father's, of course. If you want his assistance you should contact him separately. But you will likely lose me as a result." She pauses for a moment, then adds. "I do not offer explanations, only outcomes. My father thinks me to be dead, and I has no desire to change that assessment."

Lex Luthor has posed:
"The Light only has seats for those who can share power and work together with a team. Your father has proven he is only interested in his own vision. Your visible death and low key 'resurrection' gave the implication you're not returning to the League of Assassins. As a gesture of good faith, I'd also recommend you propose to The Light that we work towards you claiming the League yourself." Lex gives in response. Then, he stands, and reaches across the desk for a handshake, "I look forward to working with you, Talia."

Talia al Ghul has posed:
"I'm uncertain whether taking control of the League of Assassins is on my agenda, but I do appreciate the thought, Lex." she replies. Talia rises when he does, reaching over to accept the offered hand. Her manicure is professional, and only when she grips his hand would he feel the callouses from years of weapon training. "Thank you for inviting me. And I greatly look forward to seeing how this plays forward."

Lex Luthor has posed:
For his part, Lex Luthor has the feel of a man who has had some training... but most of it mental. But then, he's an incredibly brilliant man all on his own, possibly the greatest Mind in history, given that he's planning to build a private corporate space station at 37! "Mercy can give you your copy of my encryption and application I plan to use to handle our network meetings once the Riding Tides attacks have been dealt with."

As if on cue, Mercy comes around the desk, and offers Talia a thumb drive, "Feel free to have your people inspect it, as it contains the source code for both, as a gesture of good faith." A firm shake, and he releases her hand. "Feel free to stay around, if you're interested. The LexMall has quite a few interesting items you might like."