Outside the President's office, Lex adjusted his tie. As the doors slowly opened, the crisp footsteps of leather shoes sounded slightly hurried.
"I trust you've already read the briefing, so I won't waste time. Put simply, some monster smashed Mercury apart with a single blow. We don't know whether he'll come for Earth next."
"We need more information," the presidential aide said. "That will allow us to assess the threat he poses and take action."
Lex's tone was extremely impatient. "Listen to what I say—your assessment is useless. There isn't a weapon on Earth capable of dealing with him right now. All we can do is rely on the Justice League."
"The Justice League is taking active measures. They'll ensure the risk of harm coming to Earth is kept to a minimum, and you won't have to pay any price for it. All you need to do is manage yourselves."
"Let me repeat myself. Whether I came here or someone went to Moscow, our purpose was the same. We came to make sure that, at a time like this, you're capable of managing yourselves and not getting in the Justice League's way. Understand?"
"We need to give the public an explanation," the President said. "It doesn't have to be the full truth, but they need to know why we're making such a big move. Otherwise, it could cause panic and make things even more troublesome."
"You want to release the information? No, there's no need to make things that complicated. They'll all know soon enough."
"What do you mean?"
The moment he finished speaking, the well-lit President's office slowly began to darken.
Everyone turned toward the windows in horror. The brilliant celestial body that had always hung high in the sky was being swallowed by some terrifying dark energy.
"Th-this..."