[Val Verde]

[June 13th, 2020]

—

I straightened my dress uniform. The untouched clothes was almost a decade old, and it almost fit. They hung loose on my now slender frame.

I had to order my helpers to leave it be. Though I could feel their displeasure radiating off of them like a bonfire. They had expectation on what the Supreme Leader should look like, and this was not it.

Clara, the head maid, was a sweetheart. A veteran of three decades. I would be the third leader she had taken care of.

She had the best intentions at heart, but it often seemed to take precedence over my own wishes. Her wishes also tended to reflect onto the staff itself.

The clothes were loose and despite my tighter belt, it did nothing for my image. I tugged at the hem to adjust it the best I could.

The reflections showed a thin man looking back. One day, I would regain my weight. For now, it was a look I wanted. A thinner man who would starve with the people.

Where I once had a refined physic from a life of hard work, constant stress, and heavy lifting. I now was a thin man. A lanky boy.

I chuckled at the joke.

Most of the Jade Falcon novices were lanky boys. Regardless of their actual physical aptitude, you were always a naive child. Until your first combat run, and your eyes got opened to reality at its rawest form.

You either broke, died, or lived long enough to become a man. Or woman in case of the female lanky boy.

My time as the Supreme Leader was far more sedated. The rationing that I adhered to was tough, but not unbearable. I didn’t feel right gorging myself while the people starved.

As a result, I was a lanky boy.

I took a long, deep breath. Then I gave up.

There was nothing I could do to improve my image.

I did a sharp fist to heart salute, and my reflection in the mirror mimed it.

I turned and walked out.

—

She stood as I walked into the room.

Her proud posture was far from demure. The only other male, a redhead, was meek compared to her natural presence.

Smart business wear. Well fitted and its cream color went well with her pale skin.

I smiled as I saw her. Good or bad, this woman had more international power in her pinky then the entire nation of Val Verde.

“Supreme Leader, I am very happy you took the time to talk to me today,” she began as we met and she offered her hand.

I shook hands, and her grip was from someone who knew the value of a firm handshake. Then I made my way through the middle of the plush waiting room.

We both stopped at the nice couches that one of my predecessors had commissioned. This room was one of opulence, and luxury.

“Miss Lois Lane, the international star journalist,” I responded in kind. “Please, call me Johnny. The Supreme Leader is something that I am still not used to.”

“Johnny then. Please call me Lois, and this is Jimmy,” Lois said as she introduced her partner. The man held up a camera and the sound of rapid fire shutter movement filled the air.

“Mister Jimmy Olsen, a man who strives to fulfill his ideals. Both photojournalism, and the world beyond the lens,” I said with a smile. I made my way over, and shook the young man’s hands.

“T-thanks,” the redhead said with a blush. I noted that Lois had a raised eyebrow, but she smiled as I made my way over to her.

“I am unsure on how you conduct your interviews, Lois. I hope that we can keep things simple, and straightforward,” I began as I sat down.

There was several couches arranged around a square coffee table. Several pitchers of water, and a bowl of fruit was already served.

I poured myself a cup, and noted that they had already drank some water themselves. A good sign as they didn’t view this as a hostile event.

Lois took out a voice recorder. The small hand sized object was a little roughed up, scuffs and scratches lined its surface. She hit the record function and settled down onto her seat.

“Johnny, I understand that you gave me freedom on what I can ask,” Lois said as she took a drink. Val Verde was warm today, and that meant that it was like peak summer back in Metropolis.

“Of course Lois. You would find any truths no matter if I tried to hide them or not,” I answered with a chuckle. Fate seemed to always be on Lois’s side.

Her ability to find the truth was second only to those with superhuman intelligence. Even then, her timing was often such that only the gods could have arraigned.

“Well then, Johnny,” Lois hummed out as she leaned back. She looked relax, but much like a cat crouching before the pounce, I knew better. “What is going on with the food shortage in Val Verde?”

I stared into Lois Lane’s blue eyes. Her clear, and sharp gaze stared into me.

“Due to the terrorist attack by Bane, many of our farms are no longer usable. The chemical attack he unleashed has contaminated our soil. The land is barren,” I sighed as I recalled the reports on the soil samples on each of the major farms.

“We are now forced to import food. With a reporter of your caliber, I am sure you are very well informed. Val Verde’s economic status is no international secret,” I said as I ran a hand through my hair. The entire thing was stressful, and I hated the feeling of powerlessness.

“What steps have you taken to to help the people then?”

“I have implemented rationing, and I have bought fresh soil by the tons. Yet what we do not have is time. The farmers need incredible amounts of man power to scrape off the top soil, and replace it with new layers.”

Lois nodded, wrote down a few notes onto her notepad.

“Have you considered outside aid? Would your government accept outside help?”

“Lois. I will be forthright. I have, for months, been applying for support. Knowing the situation as it happened, I began to look into international aid,” I stared into her eyes. My gaze held hers. “The responses have been… lackluster.”

Lois raised an eyebrow, and began to make more notes.

“Have you ever considered adopting a different method of government?”

I blinked as I stared at my interviewer. This was one bold question. I expected great things from Lois and still she was able to surprise me.

It was enough that I ended up laughing. A deep laugh that had both guests trading looks.

“Lois, did you not know that there was an election during my early months as the Supreme Leader?” I chuckled as I took a drink, and wiped away a tear.

“No, I did not know that,” Lois said as she shook her head. No one had mentioned anything like that... she jotted down a few notes and made sure to ask about it before she left.

“I understand that the UN dislikes dictatorships. Or as Val Verde prefers to call it, an autocracy. The people voted to keep me, and our government. It is ingrained into the culture,” I answered.

I remembered how the overwhelming majority did not want change like that. They wanted stability, and a healthy industry that included enough food to eat.

“Is it because of the island religion of the Greater Good?” Lois asked as she crossed the question from her list.

“I would be shocked if the answer was otherwise. The Greater Good governs our lives. Through it, we can become more then the sum of individuals. This also often requires a leader to show the path,” I replied as I tapped my fist to my heart.

"Would you say that it is because of the Greater Good. This core belief that you are having trouble finding international support?"

"The Greater Good does not preach anything complex or strange. It is about acceptance, and the strive to become a better person," I said as I chuckled.

The Greater Good was often easy to twist. To mold into something more. Yet at its core, was as simple. Be good. Accept others.

"If there was anything you would request to the world, what would it be?"

"Food," I replied. It was a concise answer. "What Val Verde lacks at the moment is fresh food. What we ration now is simple, canned food. It will not last forever."

Lois stared at me, and I frowned as my greatest worry surfaced.

I had been in a lot of war zones. These places also tended to be in less developed countries.

For those that did not have enough food. It looked neither pleasant, or comforting.

The idea that it was a possible future for Val Verde made my stomach drop. It was the reason that Candice and the Jade Falcons were away on missions right now.

All to gather more money to buy food, supplies, etc.

"Johnny, what would be the message you would deliver to the world?" Lois asked as she began to reach the bottom of her list.

The rest of the questions were far more simple. Answers that would give her insight into the Supreme Leader of a Nation. One that she was beginning to see as a unlucky country haunted by actions of others.

"Val Verde is a country of patriotic people. We were misled first by Cobra. Who had legal and proper documents vetted by the US government," I began as I had seen the paperwork myself.

"Then we, the people, were defending our island. Our land that was being invaded by foreigners. Good people died because Hydra had its claws in the government for a long time," I continued as I closed my eyes.

"Those people? Gone. Fled with Baron Zemo as their plans failed. This left only us, Lois Lane. The people of Val Verde. Carrying the mistakes of others, and we have only survived since then," I finished and took a breath.

When I made eye contact with Lois again, I saw her gaze soften. She had talked to the people. She understood that they were people like any other.

Her questions softened, as she began to ask lighter subjects. My thoughts on trade. My thoughts on the future of the world.

I was finding myself liking this sharp woman.

Lois Lane was a naked blade.

Though she could cut our throats, I hoped that she would instead slice through the UN prejudice.

————

Chapter 09: Interview in Val Verde: Who is the Supreme Leader, and why do his children starve?