Cold wind swept through the Greenhouse's shattered dome, stirring the ashes on the floor.
Bruce stood frozen.
The words "Do you like it?" coiled around his throat like a thorny vine.
Chu Men paid him no more attention.
He took two steps back, turned, and spread his arms.
His dark robe snapped in the night wind.
The cameras on 120 giant holographic screens locked onto Chu Men's back.
From the ruins of Gotham to the squares of Metropolis, from the bunkers of Washington to the mines of Carado, billions of eyes converged on one point.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Chu Men's voice rang clearly from every speaker. "Tonight's show is over."
Across the world, dense crowds knelt in the mud.
"I know what you've been waiting for."
Chu Men walked toward the row of kneeling figures.
"You've been waiting for a miracle. For justice. For heroes to descend from the sky and send me to hell."
"To meet your expectations, I even played along and let them put on a fairly decent show."
Chu Men stopped in front of Clark.
He hooked Clark's chin up with his toes.
Clark obediently raised his head.
The eyes that had once been bright blue now held only a stagnant dark red.
His hands stayed flat against the ground as Chu Men's toes slid over his blood-smeared face.
"You should thank every member of the Justice League."
Chu Men looked into the camera.
"They made this show so entertaining. We ought to give them a round of applause. Or perhaps a more substantial reward."
Chu Men withdrew his foot and gave Clark's shoulder a light kick.
"This one," Chu Men said evenly, "the sun of Metropolis, the last legacy of Krypton."
"From today onward, he'll deal with every disobedient piece of trash."
"Don't doubt his