His hands moved against his will. He focused as hard as possible but the fog in his mind was taking over and numbing him. His thoughts dragged in despair to their destination and his body was free to act on its own. All he could do was hopelessly view quick glances of his actions through the thick mist he was trapped in. Anytime he tried to focus, really focus the fog would wrap around his neck and pull. It seemed he was to be a captive or die. At least if he was held captive in his own mind he could hopefully somehow, call out for help. Though even if he did manage that, who would ever hear him? He wasn't sure, but he believed he was all alone right now and most likely far from others. But even if someone did hear him, someone like Robin or Impulse what would they do to save him? What in the world could they do? It wasn't like Robin and Impulse could easily beat him in a fight. He sighed. Perhaps calling for help wasn't such a great plan. After all there weren't too many people around that he couldn't crush with just one punch. There didn't seem to be any way out of this.
He screamed in frustration into the white mist-filled abyss he floated over. In response to his outburst the mist gathered itself into a tendril and began to tickle his chin. He winced and pulled back. For good measure he placed his hand between his neck and the tendril. That made no difference though just as he feared it might. The tendril drew itself back, poised for a moment and then gouged through his hand and into his neck. The pain was something he'd never felt before. It was as though Luthor had shot kryptonite bullets through every cell in his body, like some sort of inescapable torture device that could fuse kryptonite into his dying cells. He screamed, blood churning gagging sounds that would only be expected from a wild animal. In his pain instinct took over for only a second and he grabbed the mist that floated around him. It retaliated by burrowing deep into his sides. His grip grew weak and the mist slithered from his hands. His breaths were ragged and he found he simply wasn't able to focus on anything now. The mist began to pull itself away from his bloodied astral body. He gasped as it did and darkness overtook him.
In the reality in which his body moved and breathed there wasn't a scratch on him. In reality he stood up amongst a field of sun flowers and looked towards the sky. His empty red dilated eyes flashed as his lips pulled back in a large sneer and with one outstretched fist, he took off.
The wind gliding across his face and over his body felt superb as usual. He closed his eyes, slowed down and flew on his back with his arms behind his head. How peaceful it was to fly over a field of sun flowers at sunset. He gazed at the purple and maroon mingling in the sky. It was beautiful and he wanted to share it with someone. But he didn't let the lack of others upset him, being alive again just felt so wonderful.
"Conner," called a female voice. He glanced down slightly surprised to hear a voice and saw Cassie.
"Cassie," he responded touching down on the ground. "I'm so glad to see you, but what are you doing in Smallville? You didn't tell me you were coming," he said as he wrapped her in a hug.
"I have everyone else with me too. I hope that's okay," she said stepping back and motioning to the others walking over.
"What? Of course it's okay. Ma is going to kill me though," he laughed as he looked over and saw Robin, Impulse and Beast Boy grinning at him. "She wasn't expecting this many visitors," he added walking over to Robin. He hugged his smiling friend and then turned back to Cassie for a moment. When he turned to her, what he saw shocked and scared him in a way he didn't think anything ever could.
She was standing there just like when he turned his back to her. Only now her head was slightly tilted to one side, as if her neck could no longer provide support. As he looked in horror he noticed her skin was a brownish-purplish color and was flaking everywhere. He took a step back and saw that her eyes were simply gone. He heard the buzzing of flies around her head now. How he'd missed that before, he wasn't sure. He took a small step towards her, reached out and saw her nose fall off. He jerked his hand back as his features twisted in confusion and sadness. He suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder, wrenching his focus away from Cassie's rotting body. He had an awful feeling about this tap, but slowly turned towards it nonetheless. He saw that it was Impulse who had tapped him. He turned around just in time to watch the arm Impulse had touched him with fall off at the shoulder. With a quick, hurtful glance he saw everyone else was just like Cassie; dead and rotting. They took small steps towards him, until they were circling him and closing in. In his horror he found himself unable to move again and felt his undead friend's hands grab at him. He could hear their decaying windpipes making rattling noises as they whispered something. He couldn't help but hear their words as they grabbed at him.
"Why? Why would you kill us Superboy?" they rasped and their words swirled around him.
"NO. NO, NOOOOOO!" Superboy screamed as his eyes widened unable to escape the horror of their words.
"I DIDN'T. I WOULDN'T. I'D NEVER HURT YOU GUYS. NOT ON PURPOSE...NO! NO, I-NEVER AGAIN WILL I HURT ANY OF YOU," shouted Superboy as he zipped up into the sky to escape their hands and accusations.
"But you did. You lost control and killed us Superboy,. Why? Because thats just who you are. I always suspected it, but well with your good behavior you fooled even me. Guess It's in your DNA.," Robin said with a voice like dried leaves. Superboy flew to the undead Boy Wonder, reached out to him and said, "Robin, you're my best friend. Why would you ever say such hurtful things? I'd never…"
"WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT YOURSELF BEFORE DENYING IT?!" their horrid leathery voices demanded. Superboy froze hovering just above the air and carefully glanced down at his clothing. His breath caught in his throat. His blood pumped noisily in his head. He was sure he was going to faint, but he couldn't let that happen. Because this couldn't be real. There was no way he'd be dressed like Luthor, his Father. But when he reached down and pulled at the tan suit he was wearing, he discovered it was real. Everything was. From the dress pants and shoes he was wearing to the shirt cuffs with Luthor's symbol on them.
His mind raced with a speed beyond what he could track. Killed? My friends? I didn't. I couldn't. I'd never. But it seems like Luthor made me somehow. Made me? No, I should've been able to resist him. He can't make me do anything anymore. So why did I? WHY DID I LOSE CONTROL AGAIN? I DON'T WANT TO BE HIM. I DON'T WANT TO SHARE DNA WITH HIM, BUT WHAT IF I REALLY CAN'T HELP BECOMING LIKE HIM? I'M SO SCARED, he finally thought as he took a deep breath and let out a raw scream of disbelief as his feet touched the earth and he allowed his undead friends to rip him apart.