26: God Among Us
"Is everything ready?" Tony asked, looking at the dozens of reporters who had arrived and the large crowd of hundreds of people that only kept growing and growing.
The stage had been set up in Metropolis, the city of tomorrow, in its central plaza, an open space where people could come en masse without fear of being crushed to death. Well, if the crowd got too big, it would be hard not to feel cramped.
Fortunately, no one knew yet what this conference was about, except for Tony, of course.
So the number of people, while large, was not yet overwhelming. But Tony knew that would change soon, once "he" arrived.
"The cameras are ready, the news stations are starting their live broadcasts, and the foreign media are in their places," Pepper Potts commented, having already checked everything at least three times.
It had been sudden; Tony's request had required moving a lot of resources in a short time. Still, with enough money and the necessary influence, it was possible. The media, after all, would never let a story go, even if they didn't know exactly what it was about.
But the eccentric billionaire had always been a maker of big news. His name and image sold well, and since he was the one who paid to bring them, it was clear they had to be there.
Even if the announcement turned out to be less amazing than promised, it didn't matter.
Tony nodded to Pepper. It had been a while since he saw her. He had been a bit too busy these days. Still, she was as reliable as ever, though not as much as Jarvis, of course; his A.I. would always be the number one assistant.
He looked up at the clear, bright blue sky, the sun just beginning to rise. It was early in the morning, so there was still a slight cool breeze. That was good; if it got too sunny, this would become uncomfortable too quickly.
Murmurs began to fill the place in anticipation of the mysterious announcement. It was rare for all the major media outlets in the world to be gathered in one place with just a few days' notice.
Such a mobilization, of course, could only be done by someone with the necessary resources. Everyone knew Tony Stark was going to communicate something, but no one knew what, which generated some controversy among the people watching either in person or on television channels through the live broadcast.
Of course, without anyone knowing, Daniel had asked Lara to intervene with the signals. He didn't want any errors or delays. Using the Fortress as the central point, Lara used advanced Kryptonian technology to temporarily and specifically enhance human telecommunications signals.
Something extremely simple for her.
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From one of the tall buildings in Metropolis, a young man in his twenties observed all the hustle and bustle with an impassive look.
He took one of his hands out of his pockets and looked at his watch.
"It seems it will start soon," he said and turned to see the dozen shareholders sitting behind him at a long conference table.
They all had contemplative looks. In one corner, a television had begun tuning into one of the channels broadcasting the events in the plaza live.
"What do you think this is all about? Why come here? This isn't the usual way that kid acts," a man in his 60s with completely white hair commented with a frown.
All the other shareholders nodded. Metropolis was their territory, and having Tony Stark's presence wasn't a good omen. If his announcement had anything to do with the city and its businesses, it would only present more problems for them.
"It doesn't matter what he's after; LuthorCorp is still the largest company in Metropolis. If Tony Stark thinks he can stick his nose into this city, then he's in for a tough backlash," a woman's serious and cold voice was heard.
Many agreed with her. The man looking out the window smiled and turned to his sister.
"It seems you dislike him. I thought you hadn't had any contact with him until now."
The woman frowned. "I don't need to know him in person to understand what kind of man he is. Although, knowing you, I suppose you get along quite well with him, Lex."
Alexander Luthor laughed.
"I'll admit his parties are great. Still, I agree with all of you. Tony Stark won't find a place for business in this city. I'll take care of that," he said with finality.
"For now, let's watch the show. Maybe something fun will come out of all this," he stopped looking out the window and went to his seat, one of the two main seats in the room, right next to his sister.
They looked at each other, one with intensity and the other with joviality, but soon they stopped paying attention to each other and focused on the broadcast on the television.
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"Have you found anything?" Nick Fury's voice sounded through the communicator.
Natasha Romanoff didn't stop what she was doing. She carefully observed her surroundings and, once she confirmed it was safe, responded in a relaxed manner.
"Nothing. This is the first time I can't find anything. It seems the only one who knows what this is all about is Tony Stark. Otherwise, I don't understand how there are no clues."
She had arrived at Stark Industries a few days ago. She had started a thorough investigation into Tony's kidnapping. It had been easy to find everything she needed. She was preparing to send all the information to Agent Coulson when the news spread that Tony was preparing something "big."
Fury had asked her to find out what it was once she informed him about it.
She thought it would take her an hour at most.
Days had passed, and she didn't even have a lead.
She wasn't arrogant, but she wasn't the best at what she did for nothing. This had reached the point where she couldn't help but feel frustrated, so she had come to the only conclusion that could explain it.
Only Tony Stark knew why he was making such a fuss.
If allowed, she would have extracted the information from him personally, but Director Fury had told her not to approach the man for now, so she could only stay on the sidelines.
From his office, Nick Fury narrowed his one eye and looked at his own screen, watching the newly started broadcast. The reporters on the scene were simply making the initial introductions, waiting like everyone else for the "big announcement."
"For now, stay close. If it turns out to be something unimportant, that's fine. We'll take advantage of you being there to get in touch with him beforehand. I'm sure he'll be very interested in everything you've found out." It should have been Agent Coulson who contacted Tony, but he was busy investigating some strange reports in Central City.
So Natasha would have to take his place if necessary.
Back in Metropolis.
Natasha agreed with the new orders and looked towards the stage. It seemed like it was about to begin. She adjusted the press pass hanging from her neck, smoothed the long black hair of her wig, and started walking over.
"Let's see what the surprise is."
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Carol adjusted her trench coat and looked towards the stage. She shouldn't be here, but she couldn't help wanting to be.
Seeing it in person would surely be much more spectacular than watching it through a screen. She knew Daniel was nervous about this, but she fully trusted that everything would go well.
Still, having support was always better, and she believed her presence could help him.
She walked to a secluded spot; large crowds were never her thing. Besides, with her vision, she didn't need to be too close. Yet, she didn't stray too far. If there was any problem, she wanted to be ready to help.
She looked at the empty stage and then lifted her gaze. Others might not notice, but she could. High in the sky, almost reaching space, she saw him, looking down while his cape fluttered in the wind.
His heart beat a little faster than usual but still steady and firm.
He looked especially handsome with the sun hitting his unmasked face. If she were an ordinary person, she would have wanted to take a picture. She didn't need to, of course; the image was easily etched into her memory.
"He changed his suit." It wasn't very different, just that its colors were more similar to the suit he made for her.
She heard a sound coming from the stage. It seemed like it was time.
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Tony stepped onto the stage and approached the main microphone at the podium. Without thinking too much about it, he tapped it three times with his finger to confirm it was on. The sound made some people wince.
"Alright, it seems I have your attention," he said calmly and waved.
"You're probably wondering why all the fuss. I've been pretty quiet these days, after all. Well, this isn't really about me, much as we'd all like it to be," he said, causing a few people to raise their eyebrows.
It's not about you? Who was he trying to fool?
One of the reporters raised his hand, but Tony quickly calmed him down.
"No questions, at least for now." That only made them want to ask questions even more.
Tony cleared his throat, looked at the watch on his hand, and knew it was time.
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are here today to talk to him," he said, pointing to the sky behind him.
People's eyes widened as they looked up and saw a silhouette, slightly shadowed by the sun, slowly descending from the sky.
His feet landed softly on the stage, and Tony stepped aside to let him stand in front and approach the podium. His job was done. He hoped this would end soon because he had something very interesting to study in his workshop after all.
As he left, he saw Pepper watching him from behind the stage with wide eyes. It was nice to see the surprise on her usually serious face.
A murmur of astonishment ran through the crowd of hundreds as they saw the figure who had become a living legend in recent months.
The amazement was even greater when they noticed his face was completely uncovered, dark blue eyes looking at them gently.
His presence was imposing. Seeing him through images did not do justice to his figure; many couldn't help but be mesmerized by the surprise.
Many reacted quickly, knowing this day could be historic.
Defiant approached the podium. Unlike Tony, he didn't try to test the microphone; it wasn't necessary.
The crowd suddenly fell silent, expectant of what might happen next.
Daniel took a deep breath. Speeches—what a complicated thing. If he said something wrong, if he did something wrong... no, thinking about it now would only make him nervous. He had to remain calm and composed, give the best impression possible, or at least an impression that wasn't disappointing.
"I want to thank Tony Stark for allowing me to do this. Without his help, it would have been difficult to gather all of you here," he said with a serene voice. Being grateful was always good, right? It showed humility.
He looked at the crowd, the cameras, and the journalists.
"I know the world has questions, concerns, and today I want to answer the most important ones. I came here today to talk with you, with all of you." He put special emphasis on the last part. Again, he had to thank Kryptonian technology because, thanks to it, Lara was translating his words in real time using the power of artificial intelligence to perfectly imitate his voice.
This way, everyone could understand his words.
Suddenly, a hand was raised. Daniel turned to see a blonde woman in her mid-twenties. She was attractive with short shoulder-length hair. He could see the logo of the Daily Planet on the badge she wore.
He nodded at her, and she quickly cleared her throat and spoke loudly. The other journalists cursed themselves internally for not being as quick and determined.
"I'm Catherine Grant from the Daily Planet. If I may ask, why now and why here, in Metropolis?" she said, looking directly at him.
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Harleen thought the surprises were over. Of course, the surprises kept coming. Sitting in her office while watching the television, she didn't expect to see Daniel on the news like this. Sure, he was almost always in the news, but this time was different, very different.
Seeing him without a mask almost made her heart stop for a second. What was he thinking?! Revealing his secret identity like that?
To say she was confused was an understatement.
"The truth is, I wanted to do this earlier, but recent events have kept me busy. Still, I believe it's never too late. In fact, I think now is the perfect time. As for Metropolis, I think it's more than perfect for this event—a city of tomorrow that represents the future. A place where advancement is the norm seems like a fitting site to introduce myself."
Huh, that sounded... different from his usual talks. Normally, he was a bit more... informal? Casual?
It seemed that this was truly serious. It was strange and enlightening to see him act like that. It reminded her a bit of the first time they met when he seemed more like a god than a man.
Sometimes she forgot he wasn't just a man, but seeing him standing there, on that stage speaking directly to the world, yes, that was like a bucket of cold water pouring over her head, reminding her how different they really were.
She couldn't help but bite her lip, not knowing why.
"So who are you!? What are you!?" One of the reporters said brusquely, earning some glances from people around him. He had no tact or subtlety, yet no one directly scolded him because those were questions everyone had.
Daniel smiled slightly. There was no annoyance in his expression, only "kindness."
"My name has already spread by word of mouth, but I'll say it clearly: I am Defiant, and I am a hero," he said with all the confidence he could muster.
A hand was raised, a dark-skinned man stood up.
"A hero? Just a few days ago, you massacred hundreds of people in Central Asia. How can you call yourself a hero?" That question caused an uproar among the crowd, which had tripled in size since Defiant had appeared.
People from all over had begun heading to Metropolis's main square to see him in person.
Harleen frowned. She didn't recognize the man because he must have been a foreign journalist. That kind of question...
Before she could continue thinking about it, Daniel's voice was heard.
"Terrorists. I stopped hundreds of terrorists who murdered innocent people every day, people who had been forced to kneel before them without being able to defend themselves. And that is one of the reasons why I am here. I have heard people's concerns, their opinions about me and my actions. What happened in Gulmira is not something I am proud of, but it is something I would do again without hesitation if it means saving innocent lives."
"So you consider yourself a judge? An executioner? What about the laws? What about justice?" Another reporter stood up, a fair-skinned man with brown hair.
The people murmured quietly, watching the "show" without daring to blink for fear of missing something.
"I believe in justice, but I also believe this world is unjust. In an idealistic paradise, we would all be treated the same, and everyone would have the right to live a dignified and peaceful life. But this world is not an idealistic paradise, and that's why I'm here. The people in Gulmira would never have peace and justice if things were left as they were. I did what was necessary in a place where the laws abandoned them a long time ago."
His voice was forceful, causing the journalist to fall silent for a moment.
"I know many are afraid, wondering what else I will do, where the line is. But my intention has never been to harm humanity. No, from the beginning, I have always had a mission: to ensure their safety. That's why I promise you, I will never harm an innocent."
He spoke sincerely.
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Natasha looked at the "man" who had been causing so many headaches at S.H.I.E.L.D. Unlike many others, she did not feel uncomfortable at the prospect of hundreds of terrorists dying. After all, she had killed many more.
No, she focused on studying him, studying his expression, his body language. Was this genuine? Were his words real? S.H.I.E.L.D. had been tracking Defiant since he began appearing in public. Every life saved, every act of heroism.
Everything was recorded, and all agents had reviewed his file at least three times to try and find clues about his identity, intentions, and origin.
She herself had studied every image at least a hundred times.
That's why she could believe him. There was conviction in his words. His dark blue eyes did not contain malice; she could tell. She had seen true evil hundreds of times, even thousands if she counted the times she looked in the mirror.
She stood up and raised her hand. Fury would be a little annoyed, but she couldn't help it. She also had a question.
"How can we trust you? Trust what you say?" Natasha was not one to believe in people; betrayal was usually easy to see in her line of work.
Even so, for once in her life, she wanted to believe in something, no matter how insignificant. Maybe it was the deeply optimistic part of herself speaking, one that had always been covered by mountains of corpses, wanting to see the light of day at least once in her life.
She didn't believe in idealisms, nor did she believe in something pure and perfect. That's why, at first, Defiant had seemed too suspicious, too unreal.
When she saw him with blood on his hands, that unreality vanished.
She didn't believe and couldn't believe in idealisms, but she could believe in someone capable of acting when necessary and in whatever way was necessary.
Defiant looked directly at her, their eyes meeting for a few moments before he began to respond.
"You can't," he said, causing many people to gasp, but the sincerity in his voice was enough to bring a small smile to the corner of Natasha's lips.
"Not now, at least. I know trust isn't something given or earned easily. The only thing I can offer at this moment is my future actions. Judge my deeds, not my words." His response sent a wave of murmurs through the crowd; many nodded, others shook their heads, and others doubted.
"That's a lot to ask. Do you really expect us to somehow trust that you'll do the right thing?" Cat Grant spoke again.
"It's a leap of faith, Miss Grant," he replied simply, making her look at him contemplatively.
Faith, huh...
"So that means you won't answer to anyone?!" another reporter asked excitedly.
Defiant seemed to think about the response for a few moments before speaking.
"I will answer to you, to humanity, but not to governments or their agendas. When I set out to be a hero, I did so with the intention of challenging the injustice of this world. That is what my name, this symbol, means." He patted his chest, more precisely the silver D on his suit.
"That's why I won't let anything prevent me from doing what's right," he said gravely to make his message clear before his expression relaxed and he spoke more softly.
"That doesn't mean I will seek to go against them or antagonize them on purpose. I believe cooperation is the best option, and I will be happy to do so if they wish."
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Lex had lost the jovial smile on his face. His expression had become flat and icy, his eyes narrowing as he watched this "thing" speak on television.
He couldn't define exactly why, but bile threatened to rise in his throat the longer he watched Defiant's face.
He had felt it before, had heard of him before, but seeing him so directly only ignited something inside him, like a fire seeking to burn everything in its path.
All of this was wrong. He didn't know why, but he felt it. This thing shouldn't exist, shouldn't be giving speeches or dictating terms, expecting humanity to simply bow its head and agree.
But for some reason, they did. He could see it, see the masses beginning to lean towards him, kneeling before a false god.
It was disgusting.
"Defiant, huh..." he ground his teeth. There was something extremely unpleasant about this.
And it seemed only he could see it. He couldn't help but look with contempt at the people around him—naive, foolish, believing in false promises and stupid hopes.
He expected more from his sister, but even she seemed to have fallen into this thing's game.
Disappointing.
But if no one else could see it at that moment, it didn't matter. He would show them to their faces.
He would show them why humanity didn't need this "hero."
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The speech continued for a few more hours, more questions, more answers.
Carol watched patiently, sometimes in complicity, sometimes irritated. Not because of Daniel—he was doing incredibly well.
Instead, it was humanity that caused her shifting mood.
There were those who, of course, saw things as they truly were, that Daniel was only trying to do what was right and the greater good for them.
But there were also those who kept questioning, questioning his intentions, his actions.
Her mother had been right about one thing: humanity could be quite blind. But that was okay. Daniel was here, and she believed he could be that beacon to illuminate their path, an ideal.
With his guidance, humanity would advance much further, be much more than they ever believed possible, and perhaps, in time, they could truly join them in the sun...
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Nick Fury felt a significant and future headache beginning to threaten him imminently.
The council would start barking like rabid dogs after this.
Even so, he couldn't help but laugh, even if he knew this would only bring more problems.
"Quite honest, huh?"
He sighed and turned on his communicator.
"Abort the contact attempt temporarily and wait for my arrival," he said. He had to talk to Tony personally.
And if possible, with Defiant as well.
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Matt took the cup of coffee while listening to the television, a frown present on his face.
Defiant's recent actions... saying he wasn't happy would be a lie. His own morals and ethics had been struggling within him for a while.
Killing had always been a line he never wanted to cross, something he believed was unnecessary.
As a lawyer, he believed in the justice system, believed in the law.
But Defiant was right about one thing: this world was unjust, and a place like Gulmira had been completely abandoned by the law.
He didn't know what to do.
"I need to go to church." Perhaps some reflection there would give him the answer.
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In an old mansion, two people watched a large television with the volume up high. One of them was a young, beautiful woman with short black hair down to her neck, softly stroking a fat black cat in her arms.
"What do you think?" she spoke without taking her eyes off the screen, watching with interest.
The man, middle-aged and missing a leg, with gray hair covering most of his head, looked at the images with his one eye, snorted softly, and replied in a deep voice.
"That it would have been nice to have a bastard like this around before," he said, images of the past flooding his mind.
"At least it would have made things easier..."
The woman narrowed her eyes and bit her lip, a clear doubt on her face.
"With someone like that, is everything I've done really necessary?"
When a "god" descends from the sky, can a mortal truly make a difference?
The old man laughed.
"Foolish girl, you're already more than I ever was. Everything you've achieved is not in vain. Besides, this world is too big for one man to cover it all. Putting all our hopes on one individual is absurd," he said, though the hypocrisy in his words amused the woman. After all, their city had once put all its hopes on one man.
"Gotham has started to rot again. I can see it, and you can see it. On the surface, things seem peaceful, but this city has always been cursed. Soon that darkness will stop hiding in the cracks and show its ugly, disgusting face again, and when that happens, I know you'll be there to stop it," he said this time with more conviction.
The woman smiled at the confidence in his words.
"And you'll let me take care of everything, Thomas? Because it sounds like you're planning to kick the bucket soon," she teased.
Thomas scoffed.
"I'm old, not useless. I've still got a few more years left, Selina."
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Note:
Four thousand three hundred words!
I hate speeches!
I actually planned to draw a lot of inspiration from Superman, but everything I found about him in similar situations didn't align with Daniel's character and ideals, so I had to improvise on the fly.
Also, so many points of view. I don't think there's been a chapter before with so many different perspectives.
It was difficult, but I think I did a good job considering all.
Probably the one who gave me the most work was Natasha. There are too many versions of that woman. She's good, she's bad, she's crazy—it's difficult. So I decided to make my own interpretation using different characteristics from various versions of her.
Let's see how it turns out...
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