Darkseid and his retinue were now sitting at another meeting. After their nerve-wrecking trip to New Genesis, they were now once again speaking with foreign leaders. In this case, they were Terran superheroes called the Justice Society.
The hall they were in resembled a courtroom with a podium in the center facing a semi-circle of seats. Three rows of seats, each full of seated heroes. In addition to the people Darkseid met back in New York, there were more heroes present, including Wildcat, Atom, Hourman, Dr Midnite, Sandman, Red Tornado and, most notably, Wonder Woman.
Each of the present superheroes had their own story and importance in the history of Terra, but Wonder Woman was THE most accomplished female superhero native to this planet. And she was arguably the strongest one of them, too.
For Darkseid, Wonder Woman was also one of the targets to capture during an eventual invasion. Not only was the princess of the Amazons one of his strongest foes, but she held a prominent role in Terran society. Eliminating her as a potential threat would have been a big victory. But alas, today, he was here not to fight.
The way he got here, Darkseid couldn't help but suspect an interference of a higher power, perhaps Delirium herself. She gifted him with his advanced knowledge of the future and of the other worlds; there was a possibility that she had also sent him here.
His arrival on Terra was premature, 50 years premature to be exact. As originally, Darkseid didn't plan to attack Earth before a third generation of prominent heroes came into play, the likes of the Teen Titans, the Outsiders and such. He wanted to allow Earth to gather its peak power before attacking. He wanted to capture and turn to his side every single hero and villain worth their salt.
But now, with his early appearance on the planet of his biggest enemies, he needed to adjust and improvise. He already decided to act differently here and be more diplomatic. Seated at a table beside the podium, facing the old heroes of the Earth, he was forming an economic partnership in his head.
Thanks to the effort he put into studying during his teen years, he was able to analyze the current situation of the Earth and what it could possibly want from an alien power. From little conversations between the humans present here that he was able to capture with his enhanced hearing, Darkseid had gathered that it was currently 1956, and the World was recovering from a Great War between major military and economic powers of the planet. It seemed that luck was on his side.
Once the final superhero took their seat, Dr Fate began the improvised meeting between the JSA and the delegation from Apokolips.
"JSA has been gathered, just like you asked, Darkseid. What do you want to talk with us about?" Dr Fate's voice was once again that of a wise man; this was Kent Nelson talking. Not Nabu, Lord of Order.
Darkseid, the three-meter-tall giant of a god, took the podium. The tiny microphone plastered on the surface of the podium was of little use to the hulking figure. Disregarding it entirely, he straightened up and began his speech.
"I came to Earth not of my own accord. We teleported here while escaping an ambush set up by the galactic Empire of H'san Natall".
He looked over the faces of the present men and women. The faces of the unmasked ones were plastered with shock and fear. Of course, not only did they come to learn about a supposedly (by the tales from Dr Fate, one of their trusted leaders) powerful alien race, but there was another one, and they were at war.
War. Politics. Members of the Justice Society came to despise those two. After the horrors of the Great War, countless battles with the evil militaristic regime and its allies... Even the thought of a war that was much greater than their planet, probably stretching across star system, even galaxies...
"We were on our way from our peace talks with New Genesis, where we managed to secure an alliance with our godly brothers".
A rapture of outrcries, whispers and murmurs erupted in the hall. The whole room was floored with a new revelation. Now there was a third alien empire in the mix. Also, apparently, the race of gods, just like Apokoliptian delegation currently in the halls of JSA. Only war experience and years of combating crime made the members of the Justice Society stay relatively calm and not panic.
But the one who was shaken the most was one who was usually a stoic man in a leadership position, Dr Fate. To be exact, it was his overworldly half, Nabu. But even for him the news of peace and alliance between the New God factions was astonishing. The endless war between the two halves of the New God race was taken as a natural phenomenon. It was a feud woven into the very culture of both planets. Throughout the universe, those who were aware of the greater universe would eventually learn of eternal conflict between two factions of gods. Countless maps of the universe were drawn with markings and legends indicating the two warring forces as enemies of each other.
And yet, here was a new ruler of the Apokolips, not yet a month after inheriting his title, declaring not only peace with New Genesis, but also an alliance. It was not a victory, not a defeat or concession that ended the eternal war; it was a young ruler engaging in diplomacy. What an unlikely story. Two sides of an eternal conflict, somehow seeing potential partners in each other? He needed to confirm that with the other Lords of Order.
Kent Nelson felt the presence inside his golden helmet vanishing. The only times that occurred were when there was a pressing Lord of Order business. He understood immediately that Nabu had left to talk with the other Lords of Order. As for Kent himself, he had an equally important meeting to carry out.
"We got on this planet randomly", Darkseid continued talking. The room fell silent once again. "But perhaps it was not a random chance that got us here, but a destiny. Perhaps, we were meant to arrive on this planet at this exact moment.
We understand that a Great War had just ended, a huge catastrophe was averted, evil was chased away and defeated.
But who says that you, your family and your planet, are safe at the moment? You have no clue about the greater universe; you have no access to its mysteries and progress.
Currently, you are an amoeba in a sea of monsters, helplessly waiting to be eaten".
Of course, Darkseid knew that this was far from the truth. Earth was not as defenseless as it seemed; the small, primitive planet was able to defend itself with the power of its mighty guardians. There was no comparable source of talented fighters, scientists, or magicians in the whole universe.
For example, New Genesis, throughout its lengthy history, was able to produce only a handful or a bit more people capable of leaving a footprint in the history of the universe. Apokolips was capable of producing a dozen or two, at max, all thanks to a steel fist of tyranny and discipline. It was also thanks to that steel fist that they would eventually lose most of their "talents".
Some other planets would produce one or two characters of such magnitude, and most would produce none. For those aware of this fact, there was no doubt that the Terra was the center of the universe.
Earth would be able to produce hundreds of characters with the ability to change and shape the future of the universe. It was a miracle of a planet. To the point that all conquerors were eager to capture such a prize for their collection. Terra was THE crown jewel of the universe.
But to these humans present around them, it was only the first time they had heard of the greater universe. They were only tiny little newborns in a world of giants. This crowd was easy to manipulate.
"We, the New Gods of Apokolips and New Genesis, will make it our joint endeavour, our project, to bring you, Terrans, to a new era. To the Era of Cosmos. We will exchange technology with you, trade resources and information. This is a gift of fate that our delegation came to this planet today. Allow us to help you recover from the war. Allow us to help you rise to the new level.
Medicine capable of battling your incurable diseases, regrowing arms and organs, and prolonging your life span. Instantaneous travel across distances. Cosmic travel. New energy sources. New types of technology. We could offer you that and even more than that".
Someone rose from their seat; it was Starman. A charismatic young man, an inventor and a brilliant scientist. As a man of great education and knowledge, he knew that there were no such things as miracles that were talked about before them. The moment that Darkseid started talking about miracles and gifts, he understood that there was something missing. There was always a price to be paid.
"Honorable Emperor Darkseid", Ted Knight started. "Excuse me my distrust, but I fail to see what you are to gain from this. It all sounds too good to be true".
People in the room started nodding along. They were no strangers to scammers and conmen, to schemers and betrayers. And right now, this situation seemed like a fairytale.
"I'm not asking you to trust me". Darkseid's low voice growled across the room, dominating the whispers and murmurs of others. He was not a politician; he was a warrior, a ruler, a tactician. He was not used to grand speeches and diplomatic deals; he felt like a fish out of the water. But one fact made it all easier: he only spoke the truth and nothing else. Yesterday at New Genesis, and today on Earth. There was no speck of a lie in his words, only truth. Yes, he masked his intentions and plans, but his words were truthful.
"I also don't trust you", he declared with a solemn look. "Who are all of you? Just a civilization that is still incapable of cosmic travel. Humanity, you don't even know how to walk!"
That struck a chord with the Justice Society. People got back in their seats. Silent about the harsh truth. It was a slap in the face, but a deserved one. They were insignificant; they were the ones who needed information and help, not the other way around.
"Trust should be earned and worked on together. Let's sign a trade deal, a partnership", Darkseid did not hide his evil smirk. He was a scheming tyrant. And yet he was sure humanity would agree with everything he would offer.