The one speaking was not the real Brainiac, but Greed. Brainiac was listening from the side as well. The moment he saw Tobias's expression, he knew Greed was right.
Ever since Brainiac had descended upon Earth, he truly had not done anything monstrously evil. On the contrary, his achievements were outstanding, his record brilliant, and he was even quite humble and approachable. Under his rule, no one had been sentenced to death. At most, they received life imprisonment without the possibility of commutation.
Darkseid, his opponent, was the complete opposite. During his invasion of Earth, he had massacred humanity countless times. Whether they were soldiers on the front lines or civilians in the rear, everyone knew how cold and evil he was. His generals were even more vicious. Whether it was Desaad or Granny Goodness, no one who fell into their hands ever came out well.
Under such circumstances, of course people feared Darkseid more.
If you offended Brainiac, at worst you lost some points. Even if you committed a crime, you merely went to prison. But if you offended Darkseid, wouldn't he skin you alive, pull out your tendons, and make you wish you were dead?
So when Tobias discovered that his scheme had been exposed, he did not panic. At worst, he would go to prison. Besides, he had another hope: Darkseid. He could find a way to have Darkseid get him out.
But when he learned that Brainiac knew he had withheld the Mother Box and intended to tell Darkseid about it, he truly panicked. Darkseid really would kill him, and he definitely would not let him die easily.
"Don't be like this," Tobias said. "I think we can talk. After all, I didn't hand such a treasure over to aliens. I kept it in my own