CHAPTER 73

Kaius pushed Diana firmly back into her chair. "Don't make trouble—let's talk business."

Diana glared at him, clearly annoyed. Amanda Waller, ever the strategist, tapped her temple and asked cautiously, "You mentioned the beings on that spaceship—are you saying they've come to invade Earth?"

"You could say that," Kaius replied with a nod.

Amanda paused to consider her next move before asking, "If that's true, how do you know all this?"

Kaius crossed her arms and leaned forward slightly. "I can share some information, Amanda, but I have a condition."

Amanda raised a brow, crossing her arms in turn. "Let's hear your condition first."

Clearing her throat, Kaius said, "I want to form an alliance—a Justice League. A coalition of volunteers dedicated to global peace. I need you to advocate for its legitimacy with your superiors. If they officially recognize it, great. If not—everything's off the table."

Amanda frowned. "To establish such a group, you'd need recognition not only from the President but also from the State Council. There are bureaucratic levels of authority to navigate, and—"

"Stop," Kaius interrupted, her tone sharp. "You misunderstand. The Justice League won't answer to the U.S. government. I'm informing you out of courtesy. After what's happened in Star City, you should understand that some problems can't be solved by the police—or even the military. Take this alien spacecraft. Do you think your army could handle it without us?"

Amanda hesitated, her expression unreadable. She knew Kaius had a point. The advanced technology of the extraterrestrial invaders far outclassed human capabilities. That was why she was here—to recruit superhumans to bridge the gap. But Kaius had flipped the script, demanding her support for the Justice League instead.

After a moment of silence, Amanda let out a sigh. "Fine. I'll deliver your message to the President and see what he says."

"You'd better pray he supports the Justice League," Kaius said, smirking as she pulled out a voice recorder. "Because if he doesn't, I'll release this recording tomorrow."

He pressed play, and Amanda's own conversations with Oliver Queen were replayed verbatim. Amanda's face turned an uncharacteristic shade of green.

Kaius grinned. "I trust you understand what needs to be done."

Amanda clenched her jaw. "I'll contact President Abraham immediately. Once I have an answer, you'll be informed. But I expect you to uphold your promise and share everything about these aliens."

Without another word, Amanda turned on her heel and marched out of the Green Arrow base, her team of agents trailing behind.

Oliver, standing nearby, broke into a wide grin. "I've never seen anyone make Amanda Waller look like that."

Kaius chuckled. "Don't let her tough act fool you. Deep down, she's relieved. If Abraham doesn't back the Justice League, she knows the President will send her Task Force X to deal with the next crisis—like Zod's invasion. And we both know how that'll turn out."

Oliver nodded knowingly. Argus (Task Force X) might investigate and collect intel on superhumans, but facing off against extraterrestrials was a different ball game.

"You're not really going to share everything about the aliens, are you?" Oliver asked.

Kaius smirked. "Not for free. If Abraham legitimizes the Justice League, I'll make sure he funds our operations. World peace doesn't come cheap, and every country should pay their share. As for the information on the aliens—well, when Zod's invasion begins, everyone will find out soon enough. Until then, I'll squeeze as much value out of it as I can."

As the others at the base debated the logistics of their new alliance, Kaius stepped aside to make a call. On the other end of the line, Clark Kent answered. Kaius wasted no time.

"Clark, we need to talk about that spaceship."

"Is it Zod?"

"Yes," Kaius replied. "It's almost certain that it's him."

Clark's brow furrowed. "Kaius, do you think he'll wage war?"

"You already know the truth, Clark. Zod wants the codex—he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals."

Clark lowered his gaze, his voice heavy. "If I surrender myself, do you think he'll leave Earth alone?"

Kaius shook his head firmly. "It's not that simple. Even if you gave yourself up, Zod wouldn't just let Earth go. The planet has something he desires—a young yellow sun. Its energy is a resource he won't ignore. Prepare yourself, Clark. We have to fight."

Two hours later, Amanda Waller sent word to Kaius: President Abraham was formally inviting him to the White House for a meeting. A car was already on its way to pick him up.

Kaius raised a brow at the invitation. It wasn't unexpected, though—it made sense.

This might not have been humanity's first contact with extraterrestrial life, but it was the first time such a civilization had made its presence so blatantly clear. With the alien spacecraft hovering in geosynchronous orbit, chaos erupted among world leaders. Everyone wanted answers, and the United States, eager for an edge, wouldn't pass up the chance to gain exclusive intelligence.

However, Kaius declined the offer of a car. It was simply too slow.

"No need to send a car. Let President Abraham know I'll be at the White House in two minutes."

Hanging up, Kaius changed into his suit in an instant. "Be back soon," he muttered before taking off.

Flying from Star City to the White House, he pushed his speed to the limit, breaking the sound barrier multiple times. Within moments, the iconic structure came into view.

Outside, a group of officials stood waiting. Some were visibly nervous, clutching their bellies or smoothing thinning hair. Guards with earpieces stood alert, their hands hovering near their holstered weapons.

The group was led by a tall, slim Black man in a well-tailored suit. His composed demeanor set him apart as he stood straight, scanning the sky.

As Kaius flew overhead, the gathered officials erupted into murmurs, pointing and whispering. Several guards instinctively reached for their weapons.

But Amanda Waller's assurances had calmed nerves enough to prevent outright panic. These were special agents, not soldiers.

The tall man stepped forward as Kaius landed gracefully before them. With an easy smile, he extended his hand. "Welcome, Mr. Avenger. I'm Abraham, President of the United States."

Kaius accepted the handshake, meeting the President's gaze. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. President."

The murmuring ceased as every pair of eyes turned to Kaius. Abraham didn't address the spaceship directly but instead gestured toward the White House.

"Shall we?" he asked, leading Kaius and his entourage inside.

Although the President didn't formally introduce the others, Kaius could tell these were high-ranking officials—figures of influence and authority.

Once inside the reception room, a security guard approached Kaius. "What would you like to drink, sir?"

Though the invitation was phrased as a meeting for tea, Kaius smiled and said, "Hot chocolate, please."

The guard nodded and left. The room was modest in size, with Abraham and Kaius seated across from each other on two sofas. A small table sat between them, with only two cups of tea prepared.

Abraham took a sip of his Longjing tea, a subtle nod to his admiration for Chinese culture, then set the cup down with a smile. Without preamble, he asked, "Mr. Avenger, are you one of us? Are you an Earthling?"

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