The Flash ran across the ocean, then reached Haiti and began his search. He then heard a gorilla roar. “That way!” he said as he followed the roar. He then found Gorilla Grodd beating his chest and intimidating his 33 hostages. “Hey! Donkey Kong!” called the Flash.
“FLASH!” roared Grodd.
“Following a chump like Luthor?” chuckled Flash. “No wonder Solovar’s trying to take his throne back!”
“Mind your tongue, human!” warned Grodd. “I won’t hesitate to eat it!”
“I thought you gorillas were herbivores?” asked the Flash.
“Most are! I’m not!”
“…Jaime was right. Freak of nature, that’s what you are. You really think the UN will recognize YOU as the leader of Gorilla City?”
“With Grodd, all things are possible!” Grodd then used his telekinesis to grab a large rock and throw it at the Flash. The Flash side-stepped the rock before it hit.
“You know, there’s a rumor floating around that someone else is pulling Luthor’s strings,” he remarked. “Who’s the puppet master here?”
“I…I…I cannot…say!” strained Grodd. He swung his fist at the Flash, but the Flash dodged again and used his superspeed to punch Grodd in the face multiple times, causing the talking gorilla to fall flat on his face. He then helped the hostages out of their spot and called the Doctor.
“Doc, it looks like Grodd’s been forced to be quiet about the puppet master like Cheetah,” he said. “We need answers…oh, and a lift. The delegates are all right.”
“I have a nasty theory,” replied the Doctor, “but I’ll need Amy and Superman’s help to confirm it.”
Martian Manhunter flew towards Ontario. “And just think,” he muttered to himself, “I had a stash of Oreos ready to be eaten.” He then heard screams. “D’Razz!” he hissed as he flew towards the source of the screams. On the outskirts of Ontario were 29 people, 28 of them being the last of the hostages and the remaining one being D’kay D’Razz. “D’KAY!” called Martian Manhunter.
“Ah! My mate!” replied the twisted female Martian.
“D’kay, you must stop this!” urged Martian Manhunter. “Our race cannot return like this!”
“It can and it will! And with what our partner has promised, there will be only ONE Martian race! No Ice Warriors, no pseudo-humans, no White Martians, and no inky-black creatures that look like some blend of Rome and Egypt!”
“Your ally isn’t a real friend!”
“I’ve seen his technology! I’ve returned home just before our end! Now I can bring it back!” D’kay pulled out all the stops, but Martian Manhunter simply changed shape to dodge each blow. Finally, he grabbed a book of matches…and lit one! D’kay tried to put it out, but Martian Manhunter hit her in the back of her head, knocking her out, then doused the small fire. He then shuddered.
“That’s the last time I’m doing that!” he said as he freed the hostages. He then called the Doctor. “Doctor, the hostages are freed, and I may have discovered a clue that might narrow down our list of people controlling Luthor. D’kay D’Razz said that she saw our race just before we went extinct.”
“That would imply time travel,” replied the Doctor. “And with the other clues we gathered…standby.”
Back at LexCorp, the Doctor called Amy. “…You don’t think…I mean, he was imprisoned, wasn’t he?” asked Amy. “…Yeah, he would, wouldn’t he? …I’ve got an idea to confirm it. You just get the delegates back.”
“So, the hostages are freed,” guessed Luthor.
“Did you think we wouldn’t save them?” asked Superman.
“I suppose I had a small hope you would,” replied Luthor. “Now, Miss Rose, what IS this brilliant idea of yours to confirm the Doctor’s theory?” Amy simply took the lasso off her waist. “…You really think that can overcome the mental block my associate placed on me?”
“We’ll have to try,” replied Amy.
“You gotta admit, Lex,” mused Superman, “it WOULD be good PR for any future political campaigns if you asked the Justice League for help in taking down a criminal.” Luthor stroked his chin.
“The thing is, Superman, I know you’re stroking my ego,” he said. “…but you’re right. Miss Rose, if you please.” He rolled up his sleeve. Amy slipped the lasso of truth on his wrist.
“All right. Here goes,” she said. “Is the Presidential Candidate behind this catastrophe really the renegade Time Lord known as the Master?” The lasso glowed. Luthor strained for a bit, then…
“YES!” he finally shouted. Amy took the lasso off and called the Doctor.
“Luthor confirmed it with the lasso!” she said. “The Master DID break out of Gallifreyan prison and he’s one of the two Presidential Candidates!”
“How could he break out?!” Lurra Rus asked the Doctor as the two helped the delegates leave the TARDIS in an orderly fashion once they were brought back to UN Headquarters.
“He’s a genius,” replied the Doctor. “A mad one, but a genius.” Another call then came through.
“Doctor, it’s Green Lantern! Sinestro overheard and he broke out! He’s looking for the Master!”
“No, not now!” complained the Doctor.
In Texas, a man in a goatee, cowboy hat, and boots as well as a suit and red tie returned to his office. “You just keep doing what you’re doing!” he called to his secretary. “We’re gonna win this!” He shut his door and gasped when he saw Sinestro sitting at his desk.
“Tell me, what is it your people fear, Master?” he asked.
“…I-I don’t-!” stammered the man.
“We all know who you are,” dismissed Sinestro. “Not this ‘Sam Terrance’ act. The Lasso of Truth was used on Luthor, and it overcame your mental block. Besides, my ring is screaming that you’re Gallifreyan, not human.” The man, or rather, the Master, rolled his eyes.
“Well, I suppose even knock-off Oan technology can do something that simple,” he sighed, dropping the thick Texan accent. “What do you want, Sinestro? I have a campaign to run and a country to throw into civil war.”
“Have you seen the latest polls?” asked Sinestro as he summoned a hologram of said polls. “Even the independents say you’re going to be this backward nation’s new president.” The Master sat on his desk with a smirk.
“Those fools, Trump and Putin, DID pave the way for me,” he said.
“And betting against you at this time wouldn’t be prudent for the denizens of this country,” replied Sinestro. “You must understand, although my distaste for you self-proclaimed Time Lords is incalculable, what I’m about to do is utterly impersonal.”
“What are you babbling about, the superiority of Korugarans over Gallifreyans?”
“You DO know that everything that exists has a specific nature, yes? Each entity has something in particular and has characteristics that are a part of what it is. The human letter ‘A’ is the human letter ‘A’. And no matter what face he wears or what biological sex he is, the Master is still the Master. If I am to bring order to the universe, your existence must come to an end before you take office.”
“You’re going to kill me and thus eliminate a rival to your power.” The Master chuckled.
“I’m a well-known monarch. The upcoming Grouping will play out, and order will reign supreme.” By then, the TARDIS made its usual arrival noise, distracting Sinestro.
“Interesting plan, Thaal Sinestro,” mused the Master. “Unfortunately for you, it’s not really an option!” The instant the TARDIS fully materialized, the Master grabbed something from his desk and fired a laser right at Sinestro’s chest! The shot pushed him into the TARDIS and he hit with enough force to knock the ring off his finger. The Master rushed over and snatched it up just as the TARDIS doors opened.
“NOBODY MOVE!” called the Doctor as she led the Justice League and her friends out of the TARDIS.
“Too late, Doctor!” cackled the Master.
“How did you get out?!” demanded Lurra Rus.
“Intruder window, how else?” snarked the Master.
“You’ll be going right back there when I’m through!” swore the Doctor.
“Promises, promises!” retorted the Master.
“The jig is up, buddy!” warned the Flash. “Your alien origins will be revealed and the Republican Party will have to settle for your running mate!”
“And I care because?” asked the Master.
“Master, there’s something I don’t understand,” said Amy. “How does being the President fit into your-?”
“President?” scoffed the Master.
“You must stop him!” insisted Sinestro. “He has my ring!”
“Okay, now I think I HAVE lost the plot here,” remarked the Doctor as she leapt towards the Master. The Master twirled out of the way and slipped the ring on his finger! A yellow and black jumpsuit replaced his outfit and a Time Lord collar and skull cap appeared on his shoulders and head.
“A perfect fit!” purred the Master. “Now…now I can fully take advantage of the Grouping!”
“The Grouping?” asked the Doctor. “You really ARE insane; that’s just a myth!”
“How does being our President help you handle this…grouping?” asked Superman. That was when the Master used the ring to create restraints around everyone!