Brainiac was sowhat surprised by this result because it was actually counter-logical and counter-intuitive.
Aliens are very dangerous. Any rational human should be aware of this. After all, silicon-based life and carbon-based life are completely different. They are absolutely not of the sa kind. Either they are strangers to each other or mortal enemies.
But humans would choose the latter between their fellow humans and another existence completely different in life form. What sense does this make?
Normally, wouldn't the logic be that fellow humans, despite various problems, are better than other life forms?
But no, the human line of thinking is not like that. Their logic is to prefer cooperating with an evil artificial intelligence over allowing their fellow humans to advance further.
This was the first ti Brainiac realized what kind of malice the human race holds towards their own kind.
"To them, you are unknown. Even if they think they understand you, they actually only understand a small part. They know this very well," Shiller said.
"But if they don't understand , they shouldn't choose ."
"They may not understand you, but they understand themselves. Compared to you, they know Amanda better. If you co to power, nothing might happen to them; but if Amanda cos to power, they will definitely have issues."
"Do they think their fellow humans are more evil than ?"
"It's not a matter of thinking. It's a fact," Shiller said. "Whether it's Amanda or Congress, they may not be formidable when dealing with you, but when dealing with each other, they are a hundred tis more ruthless than you can imagine."
"Very peculiar," Brainiac said. "This is not a mode in which a civilization can develop well."
"Yet humans are exactly like this. The profound malice they impose on their fellow humans makes them choose outsiders like you when making decisions. Otherwise, they might indeed fall as countless tis recorded in history."
"Do they think I wouldn't do that?"
"You won't do it for now. That's enough. Or even if you would, your purpose is destruction, which ans everything will happen quickly. And if left to humans, the process will be quite brutal."
Brainiac fell silent. He chose to negotiate with Congress. The conditions they offered were unbelievably favorable. If he accepted, he might indeed be able to fully dominate Earth.
On the other side, Amanda's triumph did not last long—she soon heard that the Federal Governnt had chosen Brainiac.
"Bastards! Bastards!! How dare they!!!" Amanda yelled in her office. The nearby task force mbers remained silent, saying nothing.
In order not to incur the wrath of their boss, they left one by one. Only Pala chose to stay.
She sat in front of Amanda's desk and said, "I know the whole situation seems unreasonable. They would rather choose an evil AI over you..."
"Shut up!" Amanda yelled.
"Sorry. I just have a suggestion. If you don't want to hear it, then forget it." Pala fiddled with her fingers and said.
Amanda cald down for a long ti before speaking, "What do you want to say?"
"The situation is set. The Federal Governnt has sold out the interests of the human race to Brainiac, letting him freely deal with you, which effectively ans dealing with us. The conflict between us and Brainiac cannot be reconciled."
"The biggest problem now is that we most likely can't beat Brainiac," Pala said worriedly. "Our abilities are not limitless, but the robots he created are endless. The more we show our strength, the more people feel threatened by us, which ironically turns Brainiac into a superhero. This won't do."
"So what do you plan to do?" Amanda asked irritably as she slumped into her chair.
"To defeat Brainiac, battling him on Earth won't work. On one hand, we can't fully use our abilities, and on the other hand, being seen by ordinary people will damage the Federation Shield's reputation."
"Are you suggesting going to the cosmos?"
"I'm talking about Brainiac's ho," Pala said, "which is now Krypton replacing rcury. Haven't you thought about going up there to find so flaws?"
Amanda furrowed her brows. She shook her head and said, "It's not that I haven't thought about it, but it's indeed very difficult. Even if the natives on that planet are extinct, would the Justice League allow us up there? And Superman?"
"How would we know if we don't try? And it's not like we'll go up there openly. Even if that planet is not as large as Earth, it's at least comparable to rcury. Unless they encase it in a shell, sneaking to the dark side should be undetectable."
Pala lowered her head again and said, "Even if you don't offend the Justice League, they won't help you. You should be very clear about this."
Amanda showed a torn expression. She fell into thought, failing to catch a fleeting look of disdain on Pala's face.
Professor Shearer was right, Pala thought, Amanda is just that kind of person. Reckless when she should be cautious, and hesitant when she should make a bold move.
Amanda currently has no chips left. Once Congress and Brainiac reach an agreent, united as one, they will certainly beco Amanda's internal and external troubles.
The Federal Governnt has the power to dissolve the subordinate divisions of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Brainiac can easily defeat this small team. The public is also worried about the threat posed by these superpower users, and no path seems feasible.
Now is the ti for a last stand. The best option is to gather all the strength and break through from a single point. Missing this opportunity would be fatal.
After speaking, Pala left without saying more, because she knew there was another variable—those two Batmans. It was impossible they hadn't realized what kind of person Amanda was. Since Amanda couldn't be counted on, they would definitely take action.
Sure enough, later on, Batman approached Pala. He said, "If Brainiac really reaches an agreent with the Federal Governnt, it won't be good for the human race. We need to act quickly."
"I understand. But I've already tried to persuade Amanda, and she still seems hesitant."
"Forget about Amanda," Batman said. "We have to move on our own. Do you really want to be ruled by artificial intelligence?"
"Tell your plan," Pala said, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorfra.
Injustice Batman also went to find Victor, Deathstroke, and El Diablo, trying to persuade them to recruit the most capable and controllable mbers from the task force to his side.
Pala didn't agree imdiately; she only said she would consider it. But then she turned around and went to find Amanda.
"Batman ca to see ," Pala said. "He must have approached everyone in the squad as well. He wants to take people and act on his own."
"What?" Amanda's eyes widened. She said, "He's trying to poach my resources?! That damn bastard!!!"
"Ti is running out, ma'am," Pala said. "He might not offer you such favorable conditions, but you know he's very persuasive. Convincing those with weak wills is easy. If the core strength of the squad is taken away by him, you'll have nothing left."
Amanda almost collapsed into her chair, staring blankly ahead. After a mont, she gripped her pen tightly and swallowed before saying, "How do you plan to get to Krypton?"
"I can fly, and before, the Green Lantern Corps gave access to their teleportation portal, which hasn't been revoked yet. But I can't take too many people, and even though the Green Lanterns are busy on Mars now, we should still be careful."
"Go ahead," Amanda said, pressing her fingers to her brows. "Do whatever you can. If you succeed, any gains are yours."
Pala smiled and said, "I'll pretend to accept Batman's invitation and propose the sa plan to him. He should agree. By then, we can also use his abilities to investigate Krypton, greatly increasing our success rate."
Amanda waved her hand without looking up, and Pala went out. This ti, she proactively found Batman. After hearing her plan, Batman frowned.
"That's too risky," he said. "As far as I know, the Supern are also investigating the planet, but there's been no information yet."
"Forgive , but are you planning to let Clark Kent solve the secrets of this planet? It seems your impression of your Superman is quite unique. He'll be thrilled."
"I just think that's their ho after all..."
"That's the ho for our universe's Clark Kent, unrelated to yours. Furthermore, they're bound to focus more on Krypton's destruction history rather than Brainiac. Isn't that right?"
Batman had considered this issue too. The Clarks tend to be more emotional; it's more like a sightseeing and morial tour rather than a true investigation. Even if they discovered sothing about Brainiac, they might not be skilled in dealing with it, which was worriso.
"Alright, I'll refine the plan further. Who do you plan to involve?"
"I know you already have a list," Pala said. "The unstable and uncontrollable ones absolutely cannot be taken along. I won't be cleaning up their ss."
With that, Pala left. Batman frowned at her attitude, but obviously, he had no choice. Pala was the most powerful and versatile in the entire task force. Batman even suspected she was still a mber of the Justice League, working for them.
If that were true, what did the Justice League want to do? Batman couldn't figure it out for now. However, he had to admit Pala was right about one thing—fighting Brainiac on Earth was unwise. It was best to go to his lair.
After making up his mind, Batman called the others. Soon, several people gathered in the lounge, including Pala, Victor, Deathstroke, the two Batmans, and El Diablo.
This elite version of the X Task Force was far more stable and powerful than the previous version, making it the best choice for exploring Krypton.
After Batman explained his plan, the others had no objections. Only Victor said, "I'm just an ordinary person. My physical strength is insufficient, and I might not adapt to the alien gravity changes. I'll give you my prepared cryogenic equipnt and stay here."
Batman nodded and said, "No problem. Gotham University is about to start the sester, and we can't delay the students' education. Thank you, Professor."
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