The building was a hub of activity as Lex Luthor's gang moved things around. The objects being moved around were undoubtedly relics, and it seemed that Lex was preparing to leave for another base of operations.
Whatever had happened here looked catastrophic, even by just looking at the damage on the inside, as men cloaked in white robes tried to salvage the remains of a broken piece of gadget.
There was no doubt that whatever had happened was what had resulted to the ominous energy in the air. Some sort of a mixture of magic, anti-magic, and technology?
Wearing a contemplative expression, Lex Luthor was holding onto a pointy wizard hat that had green stripes on it. The aura it was emanating was that of anti-magic, and he looked deep in thought as he stared at it.
Who knew what could be running in that brain of his? But the hat had caught my attention, and I wanted it.
I didn't know if I was immune to anti-magic in my current state, but I was sure that I could push through any of it's effects. I was already doing so with the constant aura flow from the building that kept trying to block my abilities.
I was going to wait until they put all the relics in one place, and just as they were about to leave, I would swoop in and grab all of them, and the hat, then I would leave for the Sanctum before reuniting with Doctor Strange.
"I t-t-told y-y-you tha-t it-t was-sn't-t sta-a-b-ble." I overheard a scientist tell Lex. He was short and stout, wearing a pair of round glasses. He used his palm to block the blood oozing from his forehead, an injury probably caused by whatever had happened.
His clothes were stained with his blood, and he struggled to stand from the wreck he had been laying on.
"Mmhh?!" Lex hummed, threateningly. "Are you still lecturing me?"
"No s-s-irr." The scientist stammered yet again.
"Well then, you have the results of the test. Stabilize the damn thing or next time it shall not be just a mark on your head." Lex threatened the scientist.
The scientist squeaked, but he seemed to be a little adamant. "The damage caused to the EMP device is fatal Mr. Lex. That has taken us significantly back, and it may take sometime for us to rebuild it."
"EMP?" I wondered. "Some kind of electromagnetic pulse? What was his overall goal?"
"What did you say?" Lex couldn't sound more fierce as he asked that question.
The scientist swallowed hard, but still mastered the courage to defy Lex even further. "You overloaded the EMP. It's not just the physical damage. A lot of energy has leaked too, and storing it all back will take a lot of effort."
Lex began to approach the scientist dangerously. The scientist seeing the murderous look on Lex's face thought up something quick.
"However I got an alternative approach!" He spoke fast, holding his breath before Lex could take any action.
"Speak, fast." Lex commanded as he stopped in his tracks.
"There is a similar device that we can use." The scientist said, amidst heavy breathing.
"My plans have changed, slightly." Lex said.
"How s-s-o?" The scientist hesitated, hoping that Lex's new plans didn't remove him from the equation. Lex had already done enough damage to his life, including threatening his family, but mostly his own life.
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"I want the EMP to cloak the Earth." Lex revealed his grand plan. "I suppose that it will still work as desired?"
The scientist thought for a moment. Hadn't they done enough already. All those tireless days and nights spent just trying to harmonize the energies of magic and anti-magic, and magnetic pulses.
Weren't all the grand feats in science they had achieved in such a short while not enough for Lex? The various devices they had created using magic that were being utilized and sold by Metro Innovations, and Wayne Enterprises weren't satisfactory to this mogul?
What did he really hope to achieve by ridding the world of superheroes? All of that and not even any credit would go to the actual creators. That was the curse of being a subordinate, wasn't? But it wasn't like the scientist had a choice in the matter.
He had to follow every one of Lex's commands or he would wind up a carcass. He didn't need explaining to know what Lex was capable of doing. Even if he was angry after Lex had smashed his face into the console, he had to give him what he wanted.
If Lex wanted a cloak around the Earth, a cloak is what he would get. As for if the EMP would work in that scenario, that part could only be left for discovery, and the scientist would long be gone by then.
"Marvelous!" The scientist exclaimed. "That is a perfect idea Mr. Lex. You are a true genius."
"The EMP will surely work best if it surrounded the Earth, and it will do so without a hitch. Even more coincidentally, the device I was suggesting will be the best for that type of scenario." The scientist pampered Lex.
"Where is this device you keep mentioning, and where is it?" Lex inquired.
"It's a creation from Wayne Enterprises, but I hear the major scientist on the research was kidnapped a while back. Whoever did so must have had interest in Gotham's power, because the scientist was working on a new energy efficient technology that would supposedly revolutionize Gotham's energy." The scientist explained.
"Do you really think that this device will work, or did I crack your skull so hard that you see it fit to lie to me?" Lex asked.
The scientist wiped a beard of sweat from his face and confidently replied. "I am sure that it will work. But we first need to get it from Gotham."
"Gotham..?" Lex thought to himself. He never envisioned to going to such a gloom city, and he wasn't planning on doing so either, unless the situation called for it.
"Contact our forces and task them with finding this... device." Lex ordered. "And then bring it back to Metropolis, where we shall assemble it and put it to good use."
"I will also need a team to store up the energy required." The scientist said as soon as Lex had given the order.
"Do as you please." Lex said. "But I keep the Relics, and they will be safely transported to Metropolis as soon as you have gathered all of the energy you can."
I had been silently focused, listening in on the conversation between Lex and the scientist. What was the EMP for, an why did it require so much magical and anti-magical energy?
What device were they talking about? How did it all fit together anyway?
But that didn't matter to me. Lex had confirmed being in possession of relics. I was going in for the swoop just any minute now.
Suddenly, I felt a familiar presence in the air surrounding the rooftop I was tucked on. Then I saw him materialize from the thin air, using my 360° vision.
Felix Faust, his wide grin, broader than ever.
This was my chance to get my scroll back!
"Oh, what do we have here?" Felix said as he spotted me rising the air, to face (👀) him. "Don't tell me that that damn sorcerer is around to spoil my plans again!"
Being the Cloak of Levitation also meant that I couldn't speak either, and my only way to converse was probably by use of sign language.
But Felix wasn't worthy enough to speak to, and I just needed to get my property back from him.
"Just to be safe." Felix said as he produced a wand from his black robes. He then pointed it towards be and a beam shot towards me. A beam laced with anti-magic.
"I doubt Absolution is possible for relics." Felix said as the beam hit me, and Felix began to laugh.
"Huh?" He wondered as he observed nothing happening to me. "Is it possible?"
The beam wasn't however hitting my red tunic. I didn't trust that I still possessed Absolution in this state, and so I hesitated and let the EMP form around me again, acting as a shield against the anti-magic beam.
The consequences for this also set in and my form fell to the rooftop.
"Ha!" Felix shouted, joyously." I thought so."
He then approached to where I had fallen, believing that he had defeated me. This provided a strategic situation for me as I could simply attack him from short range, easily overpowering him.
"Although I do wonder what happened with you." Felix said as he closed in on me. "Did the sorcerer dye you intentionally, or is it a result of anti-magic? Or absolution?"
"Dye?" I wondered. "What did he mean?"
"The aura is definitely that of Doctor Strange, 'the Sorcerer Supreme'." Felix mocked my title, laughing to himself. "But last time I checked, you were red, not yellow with red stripes."
"What? My colour had changed?"