"So," Batman said, "you think Darkseid has something to do with this? You had said that he had taken control of Metropolis. Do you think that he may have some sort of continued influence here?"

"It's a possibility, one among many" Superman said. "But the question is, how did this guy get it?" He gestured to the scientist as he spoke.

Both heroes turned and stared at the frightened lab coated man now seated before them . His bald pate and bespeckled countenance shook almost perceptibly as Batman approached him.

"I want answers , and I want them now. What you've done here is against more laws then even I can name off the top of my head, and believe me, I do know most of them."

Batman leafs through the papers Superman had moments before read, and in one motion, Batman backhands the entire sheaf of papers into the startled scientists face.

"N-no!" The frightened man shudders, raising his hands instinctively to guard his face.

Batman shakes his head angrily as he lifts the man out of his chair, to draw him to his own nose.

"You see the way you protected yourself just now ? You took even that small dignity from these men. Even that simple response is denied them. Now you WILL tell me what I want to know , rest assured of that."

"I can't!" The frightened man blurts out, "He'll kill me!"

"Who will you little weasel, who's behind all of this? Who are you so afraid of that you're willing to go to jail to protect, and let me make this emphatically clear to you , you ARE going to jail. For however long is entirely up to you."

"M-me?" The man stammers out

"Yes. If you assist us, I'll make sure the Police know that, and the courts will be much easier on you, then if you continue to protect whoever your Master is."

Suddenly ,a beam of energy lances from behind Batman, instinctively, Batman leaps away, as only his cloak gets burned, a new hole joining all the others that recently turned it to tatters!

But the scientist was not so lucky, as the energy beam slices cleanly through his chest and out the other side neatly, cauterizing its own hole, leaving a bloodless, gaping space where the scientists heart was an instant before!

Even as the body is hitting the floor, Superman is atop the Apoka-Borg that fired the lethal laser, and is tearing its weapon-arm free of its body!

"Noooo!!" Bellows the Man of Steel, as he hurls the Apoka-Borg from him violently, through the wall of the destroyed lab.

Batman is at the scientists side, but there's nothing he can do, and he knows it before he even approaches the body.

"Damn them. Whoever did this must pay."

Superman places his hand on Batmans shoulder.

"There was nothing you could do Batman, nothing either of us could do. Whatever these Apoka-Borgs are emanating, is effecting me, slowing my reflexes enough to make me more...human in my reaction time."

Batman rises from the floor, and faces the Man of Steel.

"No Superman, if either of us is more human at the moment, believe me, it's you. My thoughts are currently decidedly animalistic."

Moments later... Both Men are in the Batmobile and heading into the Metropolis night.

" Where do we go from here Superman?"

Superman turns to Batman.

"To the only man in town who could have pulled this off."

Batman nods, and speaks one word, "Luthor."

Wordlessly, the Darknight detective puts the Batmobile into an effortless 180 degree spin, its tires screaming, as its mighty engine roars its indignation in the Metropolis night, and heads at a high rate of speed towards Luthor towers.

Long minutes later...

The two Super-Humans disembark from the Batmobile in front of the entrance to the tallest building in Metropolis, as high above their heads, a huge "L" shines like a beacon across the Metropolis skyline .

Suddenly Superman cocks his head skywards, towards the upper section of the building

"Batman, MOVE!" Leaping skywards before the words have fully left his throat, Superman is airborne and rocketing at supersonic speed towards the small specs leaping from the upper towers towards him.

"If we had no evidence before, this cements it." Thinks the man of steel , as over a dozen Apoka-Borgs streak towards him, their energy weaponry glowing , and then suddenly discharging!

"Arrghhh!" Howls Superman, as he's suddenly pinned by their horrible energies, but his momentum carries him into the half man, half machine beings, scattering them like ten pins across the Metropolis sky!

"These 'Borgs are even more powerful then the first group! Their force screens are denser, and their weapons deadlier!"

BA-Rooom!

Down Below, Batman leaps through the Luthor buildings glass double doors, shattering them effortlessly, as he rolls to his feet and begins sprinting towards an open elevator. Behind him, the dull whine of the flying machinations suddenly grow closer, as he sprints hard towards the now closing doors!

"This is going to be close," Thinks Batman, as he reaches into his utility belt, and without a even a glance behind, hurls two glass capsules that explode on contact with the flying Automatons, releasing a noxious ,cloying gas that seems to stick on the Apoka-borgs, fouling their eye site, as well as sense of feel! The two monstrosities careen into and through Luthors lobby, smashing their way back into the street, , as Batman narrowly enters the elevator, his cape clearing the closing doors by a mere fraction of a second .

Half a minute later, the elevator doors open, as an armed contingent of Luthors elite guard standwaiting, weapons drawn!

"What th- "Stammers the guard closest to the door, his Lexcorp armor glistening in the dim corridor emergency lighting, "This things empty, the spook got away!"

The man hastily enters the elevator door, his weapon at his side, only to end up on the receiving end of Batmans powerful double footed kick!

K-Pok!

Batman swings down from the ceiling of the elevator, where he had hid himself, pressing his massive arms and legs against the walls of the elevator, holding himself in place out of sight.

"Don't fire." Shouts a man who is obviously in charge, "Whoever our intruder is, he's put Ryans in the line of fire, take him out hand to hand.".

Batman smiles at this, obviously Luthors people are playing it up as an unknown intruder invading their bosses lair. This way they can kill him under the excuse of not realizing who it was.

"Good." He thinks, "I like poker better when all the hands are on the table, and unlike the Apoka-Borgs, these punks I can handle."

Batman emphasizes his thoughts with a powerful side thrust kick to the man closest to him's chest

Pow!

Outside...

Superman holds back nothing in his epic battle with the silent Cyborgs, his heat vision flashes into them, setting them smoldering instantly, as his fists flash quickly into the enemy Cyborgs, bouncing off their glowing force screens with the first few hits, but eventually bursting through them, to rend and damage the metal figure beneath.

"This is taking to long, and while I'm finally starting to do some damage to these things, they're getting through to me as well, and it's beginning to get painful."

With a massive heave, Superman hurls another one from him, directly into the path of one that was silently attacking him from behind! The resultant explosion momentarily lights up the night sky as their force shields explode against each other.

"Okay, that gives me an idea." Thinks the Man of Steel

With a characteristic burst of Super-Speed, Superman's gone ! Arcing upwards into the sky. Behind him, the eerily silent Apoka-Borgs give chase. High above the Earth, Superman slows his flight at its apogee, allowing the Apoka-Borgs to catch up, and then he quickly dives Earthwards,, moving so fast, that the air around him seemingly catches fire. Instantly the Apoka-Borgs continue their assault, rocketing after Superman with all their power! Their force screens glow with reflected heat as they blaze deeper into the super-heated atmosphere.

And then suddenly Superman is back amongst them , hammering against their already overloaded shields with blows that would shred a battleship!

Ba-KOOM!

One by one , their shields explode around them, their internal systems overloading.

"I think that got to them, finally. Whew. I don't know how much more of that I could've taken."Thinks the Man of Tomorrow, as the now powerless creatures fall haphazardly towards the earth, and then something catches his eye!

"No! That Cyborg, he's flailing like a man suddenly reviving from a deep sleep!"

Superman dives after the falling automatons, catching them all almost instantly, as they all seem to slowly awaken, as if from some deep slumber.

Back inside...

Batman swings a powerful right cross into one of the guards heads, as he flawlessly spins into a powerful wheel kick that smashes another into yet a third guard.

A slight "Click" catches the Darknight detectives ears, as he drops to the ground, simultaneously firing his bat-line out with a "whoosh" of gasses, even as the guards energy weapon goes off, ionizing the air above the Darknights head, as the hard steel hook end slams into the armor wearing guards gut, , tossing the man across the hallway, to land in a heap against the elevator doors.

"I've had enough of this." Speaks the leader of the guards. A man we've seen before, the name "Stalski" emblazoned on his uniform.

He slowly circles Batman, as the Gotham detective does the same. Both men feint and take each others worth, like two jungle cats sizing the other up. Then simultaneously, both attack!

Stalski's draws first blood, his roundhouse kick catches Batman in the ribs, hard, while immediately Batman rolls with the blow , leaping sideways and spinning on his rear foot, turning the momentum into his own spinning wheel kick that slams Stalski in the kidneys!

"Agggh!" Growls the big security man. "Not bad Masked Man."

"Drop the pretense Stalski, you know damn well who I am."

As he speaks, Batman spins in close, ducking under Stalski's lunge punch. As he does he, he throws a rising punch into the Guards solar plexus, knocking the air from him in a gasp

Pow!

Batman continues with a left cross that knocks the big man to the ground, he slides across the floor, and into the elevator bank, as the doors open, revealing three sets of shoes, almost at Stalski's dazed head.

"Hmmph," Speaks the lead man, his shaved head gleaming in the darkened corridor, "Enough Mr Stalski, you've done your duty. I would rather not have you ...ruined and of no further use to me. Take your men and depart. Go back to the Guard quarters."

"Yes Mr Luthor." Is all Stalski says as he rises from the floor, rubbing his sore jaw. One last look at Batman, with a slight nod in his direction, seemingly of appreciation of a real challenge, and then Stalski is gone, entering the elevator.

"And now to you Batman." Begins Luthor. "You are trespassing on private property. I'll see you in a jail cell rotting and unmasked."

"Cut the nonsense Luthor. You know why I'm here. You sent your Cybernetic killers into the night after Superman and myself. Cybernetic killers who were Gothams indigents. You used them like raw material. And this time, we've got you dead to rights. All roads lead to you. This time YOU'RE the one who's going to jail."

As Batman speaks, Superman suddenly flies into the hallway, shattering a window upon entrance. Without even a backwards glance towards the sound of the glass breaking , Luthor continues.

"You're going to pay for that window Man of Steel, I'll make sure of it, by whatever legal means necessary."

"I wouldn't be worried about something as mundane as that window Luthor. Not if I was the one facing charges of kidnaping, torture and various other illegalities."

Then, one of the two dark suited, sunglass wearing men behind Luthor finally speak.

"Mr Luthor will not be standing trial on any charges stemming from this ...exercise gentlemen."

He removes a wallet sized leather pouch, and deftly flips it open, as he does, the lights in the corridor come on to full intensity. Inside the pouch is a badge. Marked "OMA", Office of Meta-Human Affairs.

"I see the generator was finally put back on line." Smiles Luthor, looking around at the suddenly well lit corridor. "Those Cyborgs destroyed quite a bit of equipment upon their departure from here moments ago . It was fortuitous you two were nearby to stop their escape. There's no telling what damage they could have done if allowed to roam unchecked."

"Never mind that ,"Growls Batman, "Who are these two, and what are you all trying to pull here?"

The first OMA man steps forward again.

"Mr. Luthor was involved in research for the United States Government. Everything he did here was sanctioned and approved."

Superman steps forward, until he's literally nose to nose with the agent.

"You mean to tell me you authorized his kidnaping of homeless from the streets of Gotham? And the subsequent experimentation on them?"

The man closes his wallet, and turns his back on both Superman and Batman.

"Everything that was done here was legal. Accept it as it is gentlemen. Not even either of you is above the law. And I would hate to have to turn that law against you both. Especially after you've both done so much good in your lives."

Luthor looks down at his watch, then begins speaking.

"I wish you both to leave my premises immediately. I shant ask twice."

He turns to enter the elevator, and then looks back over his shoulder "Oh, and Superman, return my Cyborgs immediately. They are my- and the Governments property after all."

Ba-ROOOM!!

Suddenly the walls explode, as the dozen plus Apoka-Borgs that had attacked Superman earlier enter the corridor from the outside, where they were hovering.

In unison , they all eerily speak.

"We are no ones property. We are free men. You have destroyed what life we had. We will now make you know how it feels to be us."

"Superman!" Implores the first OMA officer

But Superman and Batman merely head towards the shattered wall.

"Luthor asked us both to leave," Speaks Batman, "Which is exactly what we are doing."

As he speaks, Batman fires his batline off to an adjacent rooftop, and swings away. Superman merely stares at Luthors expressionless face a moment, before flying away after his partner.

An hour later...

One of the Apoka-Borgs slowly alights on the rooftop next to Superman and Batman.

"I trust you did them all no lasting harm?" Asks the Man of steel.

"No, far less then they did to us. They were made to know fear. No longer will they be able to continue their unholy experiments on the unprotected and the weak."

"What will you do now?" questions Batman

"We will leave this world, the stars beckon us. Our powers make the cosmos available to us. It is there we will go. We will explore the unknown."