September 2018 - One Year After Vestra's Uprising - A Letter to Superman

******

 Clark, 

Where do I begin?

The sky is a dismal grey color as the storm clouds roll in today. They cast a looming shadow over the city, instilling a hopeless atmosphere. For some reason the sky is always cloudy; always rainy. Everything seems to be coated in these tears from heaven. 

Of course it started after Vestra took hold of the government. When she took charge just after the Complex of Heaven was defeated.

Some people just thought she was another Lex Luthor; an evil genius. They weren't wrong.

At first public was terrified, but that wasn't what she wanted. She's smart enough to know that fear can't control people. So she changed them with her powers.

You remember this don't you, Clark? She changed everyone. 

The evening broadcasts reported she had committed war crimes during her fight against the Justice League, but the next morning, the stations who badgered her the day before scheduled interview after interview with Vestra to talk about her achievements and ideals. Apparently she placated the battle of last year. She claimed to have defeated the Complex on her own. The news suddenly recanted the reports  days after talking with her. 

But Clark, did you see it? They all had a violet glint in their eye that was almost invisible.

But I could see it. That's why no one remembers the attack. Vestra's brainwashing is making them forget. That glint is all over the city and it's been controlling people for a year. She's the new villain here, Clark. She's the final piece that could destroy everything we've worked towards. She doesn't stand for justice or freedom or peace, she stands for dictatorship. She's a murder and a monster who destroying the world by conquering everything. 

That's why the world only sees the League as a myth. The our remnants of the past are ancient history. "Heroes only exist in legends" is the story. Anyone one who has powers is normal. Normal enough to join Vestra's private army. She's created "The Protection People" to instill order in society. Their goal is to protect humanity and keep it safe, but I know that they're just a group of glorified soldiers.

The whole lot of them are evil and cruel. Clark, you've got to believe me when I say they need to be stopped. This cycle must end. I don't care if crime has lowered with them in charge, they aren't doing what we did. 

What the League did.

They too have that violet glint in their eyes. Each and every person whose joined that cult is being controlled by Vestra somehow and it's an unrelenting force that she has absolute power over. She has millions of people wrapped around her finger with that mind control of hers.

But that... glint, must be the key to everything. It has to be.

I've been doing a lot of thinking, and the only connection is that purple glint. If you look at her when she's doing one of her speeches, you can see a slight, dim, violet aura around her.

I think it's an energy field of some kind, but Vestra doesn't make any mistakes so I can't test any of my theories on her. I hate that I've had to sit in my company and watch her whittle away at the powers that be.

But I can't sit and observe anymore. It's been a year and... I've just watched it all happen.

I've watched Vestra change everything in silence.

Vestra has somehow taken control of the Presidency, the Courts, the banks, educational institutions, and everything that makes society whole. I don't know what she hasn't changed. 

I thought I could make my move earlier. I thought I could stop her. I thought she would show a weakness or fall into a pattern like most criminals we've faced, but I curse at myself because I should have known that Vestra isn't like most villains. I should have known when we first saw her take control of the Hall of Justice on that breezy autumn day.

I can remember, almost taste, the air that day. How cold, but inviting, the wind was. I can envision the orange hues of the morning skyline. I can remember the peace I felt looking at that sunrise, reflecting that the war was won. It was a moment of serenity.

But I guess it was the calm after the storm. Little did I know, it would lead to a hurricane.

The next thing I remember was that I was sitting at Wayne Enterprises distracting myself with the T.V. during a business meeting. The Young Justice was lined up like a bunch of show dogs.

I assumed that they had succeeded in bringing Vestra in, and that they were doing some kind of peacekeeping agreement, but I soon saw the glint in their eyes when they spoke about maintaining calm and seeking a better tomorrow. I saw their emotionless stare, filled with that violet energy.

It's been one year since the attack, Clark - 31,536,060 seconds - and I will end Vestra soon.

It's been 52.14 weeks. 8,760 hours. 525,600 minutes. 31,536,000 seconds. That's too much time to have passed and to have done nothing. No more. Nothing will be left to chance.

I hope you'll be there Clark. I know you have the guts. You know how to reach me.

Signed, 

B.