Chapter 535: Speed Force and Lasso of Truth
The Full Scope of the Threat
The information Luke revealed was terrifying. Political and business collusion—the dark plots from novels—were clearly coming to life. The heroes couldn't help but wonder about the layers of Luke's own identity.
Was he a gangster? A politician? Or a schemer?
Luke ignored their thoughts and continued,
"The President has been replaced by a clone, which means we will be standing against all government agencies. The FBI, CIA, the military, and the police will all be taking action. Everyone..."
Luke raised his voice, his tone exceptionally serious,
"Be careful during this time. It's best not to expose your whereabouts."
Barry Allen looked uneasy. "Does the White House know our identities?"
Luke shook his head.
"Your identities are top secret. I took very tight protective measures. However..." He paused, then said helplessly, "Clark has been captured. I can't guarantee some things."
The others stiffened, understanding the implication. Lois quickly interjected,
"Clark isn't a weak person. He would never surrender."
"I'm not doubting his character. But intelligence doesn't necessarily have to be obtained through interrogation. Besides questioning, there are many other ways, such as superpowers."
Lois was speechless, unable to counter his point.
Luke continued, "To prevent an accident, it's best to hide for now, lest the opponent defeat us one by one."
A collective silence fell. They finally realized the horror of the whole situation.
They were facing not only Lex Luthor but also the government agencies manipulated by a puppet President. They were fighting an entire nation.
Barry Allen couldn't hide his worry. He was the optimistic and upbeat Flash, who enjoyed helping citizens and fighting criminals; he had never imagined taking on the government.
He thought of his father and his girlfriend. If his identity were leaked, would Luthor go after them?
The thoughts left him distraught.
J'onn J'onzz and Diana seemed less troubled. One was the last survivor of Mars, the other an Amazonian warrior. Even if the White House knew their civilian identities, it wouldn't matter much.
Luke glanced at Barry.
"You'll stay with me. Don't go anywhere."
"Boss?"
Barry looked up, his face full of internal conflict, but Luke didn't let him speak.
"I have a mission for you and Diana. Only the two of you have the ability to complete it."
Diana said intently, "What do you want us to do?"
"Find a person, and make him tell the truth."
The Target: The Speaker of the House
The White House's actions were faster than expected. That afternoon, the "President" issued the special sanction against Tesla. Powered armor was classified as a controlled substance, permitted only for military use and banned from circulation. This move won over the lower-income voters but caused deep dissatisfaction among many wealthy and middle-class people, as well as powered armor enthusiasts.
Furthermore, the FBI and CIA launched a full-scale investigation into Luke's assets and the Hongmen organization. Unfortunately, Lex Luthor had severely underestimated Luke's influence.
The U.S. isn't a traditionally centralized government; various states have independent political systems. After years of operation, Coast City was effectively tied to the Hongmen. The police chief, mayor, and city council were all secretly supported by Luke. To operate wildly there, the government would have to deploy the military.
The FBI and CIA weren't monoliths either. Many key personnel had been personally promoted by Joel Nash (the real one). These individuals appeared to be presidential confidants but had intricate ties to the Hongmen.
They couldn't, and dared not, go for a killing blow, so they only carried out their orders nominally while undermining them in practice.
Outside a certain villa in the suburbs of Washington.
It was almost eleven o'clock at night. Under the cover of darkness, three figures emerged from the woods: Luke, Barry, and Diana.
Barry asked, puzzled,
"Why are we here?"
"The person living in this villa is Pelosi, the Speaker of the House of Representatives. According to intelligence, he is one of Lex Luthor's collaborators. Bring him out. Don't alert the guards. Don't leave any trace. It must be completely untraceable."
The Speaker of the House!
Barry's mouth dropped open. His face was full of hesitation. That was a high-ranking official second only to the President, the person in charge of Congress! Kidnapping him was insane!
Diana also frowned. Luke's method of operation reminded her of someone—a terrifying person.
"We won't kill him or harm him. We just want to get some clues out of him. Time is running out. If we don't do this now, in a few days, he could also be replaced by a clone. Then we won't be able to ask anything."
Barry, resigned, put on his armor. His body flashed, disappearing instantly. The next second, he reappeared, carrying a soundly sleeping Pelosi in his arms.
The winter cold made Pelosi shiver uncontrollably. He opened his eyes groggily and, seeing the three figures, his mouth stretched wide in terror.
Luke signaled to Diana. She took out the Lasso of Truth and bound his body.
"What do you want? I..."
"That's enough, Mr. Speaker. No need for pleasantries. We know who you are. Tell me, where is Lex Luthor?"
Pelosi was about to lie, but the words that came out of his mouth were,
"At the military base fifty miles north of Kend County in Arizona. That is his laboratory, used specifically for producing clones."
After saying the sentence, he was utterly bewildered. Why... why did this happen? I intended to lie; why did I speak the truth?
Luke praised the artifact silently. The Lasso of Truth—so effective.
"Where is Superman being held?"
"I don't know. Lex Luthor didn't tell us."
"Has the President been replaced by a clone puppet?"
"Yes."
Just as I thought!
Luke frowned slightly. Diana and Barry Allen were also silent. They had harbored some lingering doubt about Luke's claims, yet they had been proven true.
"How are you controlling him?"
"A special helmet. By wearing the helmet, Luthor can influence the President's consciousness and control his body."
Pelosi was nearing despair. He found himself turning into a parrot that could only speak the truth. No matter how much he resisted internally, a lie would turn into the truth the moment he spoke it.
"Who has the helmet?"
"Councilman Anders."
"Mitch Anders?"
"Yes."
Luke nodded and continued,
"Who proposed the Guard Corps Plan, and what role did you play in it?"
"Lex Luthor proposed it. He convinced Evans, and we all agreed."
"How many of you are there? Who are they, and what are their positions?"
Pelosi was full of resentment, even despair, but his mouth still involuntarily spoke out names one by one. These people were either Congressmen or high-ranking military officials, all prominent figures.
Luke then asked some private questions that were not suitable for public disclosure, including criminal records, bribery, mistresses, and so on. After getting the answers, he released the ropes around him.
"Mr. Speaker, the conversation we just had is all recorded in here."
He pulled out a micro camera from the corner and placed it in front of Pelosi, saying meaningfully, "You know what to do, don't you?"
Pelosi opened his mouth and lowered his head with a bitter smile.
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