Chloe Ann Sullivan, editor in chief of The Metropolis Torch, sat patiently behind her desk, scanning seven hundred pages of documents on her computer. Her right hand held the mouse and waited for any indication of errors.

Two knocks were heard at the door.

"Hey Chloe," a male voice said.

She looked up and smiled from her seat "Davis! Hi! What's up?"

Davis Bloome entered the room, dressed in his EMT uniform. He looked a little disappointed.

"I was gone for weeks and that's all I get?" he faked a frown.

Chloe decided to play along. She got up from her seat and smiled as she walked over to him. "Davis, it's just a few hours. We saw each other this morning."

"Chloe." he continued, pouting. "Remember Garth and I took the trip to see the Legion in the future?"

Chloe looked at him. "Davis. That's tomorrow."

Davis folded his arms and explained. "Well actually it 'was' tomorrow and I was gone for weeks so I decided to return the day 'before' so it was like it never happened."

"Ohhhhh. I get it." Chloe nodded and went over to hug him. "Welcome back."

"It's great to be back." Davis replied. "Next time, you're taking the trip with me."

Chloe cringed at the idea, "Uhhhh. I think I'll keep my distance from the distant future."

Davis touched a strand of her blonde hair. Chloe drew in her bottom lip a little. "According to Garth, I have absolutely no recollection of all the things that happened." He put his hand in his pocket and withdrew a black DataTraveler. "Except this."

Chloe curiously took the DataTraveler from him, went by her desk and attached it to her computer. It opened automatically. Two documents: TM 2011 and Headlines.

"Open 'Headlines' first", Davis said as he walked over to her. He stood on her right.

Chloe clicked the document. A collage of newspaper clipping headlines were launched.

"Earth at War with Cylon? President Zod unveils Time Traveling Missiles? Humans Outcasted from elite Hybrid Society? Luthorcorp Clone Experiments Approved by the Government? Davis, what is all this?"

"Our future, courtesy Zod and Luthorcorp."

Chloe looked shocked but she said, "Daddy dearest, huh."

Davis shuddered. That was a memory he didn't need to recollect. "Ah, yes. Good times. Good times."

Chloe sighed and turned her face towards him, "We just need to keep you a Bloome forever." She directed her attention to the monitor. "Tess sure has her hands full."

Davis pulled a swivel chair which was against the wall behind him and sat on Chloe's right, "This is in the year two thousand and ninety two. Over the years, Tess has had only female successors. The main ones were Bryn West, Laura Bristow and Maggie Lewis. Mrs Lewis is in charge or should I say, will be in charge, under Zod of all the madness during that year."

"Charlie's Angel, a horror story." Chloe said and rubbed her fingers. Davis took the mouse in his right hand and clicked on the document saved as 'TM 2011'. "And this is what Charlie's first apprentice is going to do."

A map of Metropolis was loaded. Dated four months exactly in the future. But also showing kidnappings that occurred 2 weeks ago. Location plots dotted the map, some by themselves, others clustered.

"These dots represents kidnapping statistics. But only the ones that never called for ransom" Davis said.

Chloe sped counted, "There's an average of two hundred kidnappings. And there's a pattern. I know this. It's…. Kryptonian. But part of their ancient writing system. It's what the generals used as their personal watermark. Zod."

"Zod seems to have a front row seat to all this." Davis said. "The man is ruthless. Deadly. Any challenge to his authority and you're a goner."

"You're safe because you're his son."

"By genetics only, Chlo." he said. "It never meant anything to me. I plan to stay a Bloome forever."

"I know." Chloe said, turning her chair to face Davis. "You know, there have been only a few kidnappings on the news but nothing to spark widespread panic. The Torch hasn't gotten the scoop and judging from the lack of victory cheers at the Daily Planet, they haven't either."

"You'll torch them Chloe. You're the best editor in chief I know." Davis assurred her.

"I'm the only editor in chief you know," Chloe looked at the clock on her 5pm. "You know, I just wish there was someone else in our corner, who knows how dangerous Tess Mercer really is."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

That same evening.

Lois Lane had the urge to shoot her editor. Shooting wasn't what she would go for – instead she'd fling the gun and give him a concussion. Grant Gabriel had again refused to publish yet another of her articles. It seemed like 65% of them went down the drain.

The other 35% weren't about Luthorcorp or meteor freaks or Tess Mercer.

"Tess Mercer." Lois said curtly, "Sometimes Grant, I swear you worship the ground she walks on."

"Stop changing the subject Lane." Grant placed the two paged article on her desk. "No one wants to read stories about secret laboratories, superhuman beings, human experiments and alien technology. Keep that for the comic books."

Lois folded her arms. "Have you been living under a rock your entire life? Have you even read the article? The proof is all there."

That was it. She was going to quit. And soon. But since her budget was cut in half due to family issues, she needed a steady job. And so she had to do whatever her boss said.

He wouldn't fire her. She was the best.

"I'm not going to publish this." Grant was adamant. "Roger Morrison is about to be executed. Cover that."

As Grant exited the room, Jimmy Olsen entered holding a Canon EOS 5D camera in his right hand. He streamlined his way over to Lois who looked like she was plotting murder.

She picked up her document and was about to dump it in the trash when Jimmy saved it.

"Hey," he said as he took the papers from her. "You never get rid of your news reports. Don't let Grant get to you."

"Maybe I'm mad I'm not at the Monster Truck Rally this week," Lois denied Jimmy's true assumption.

"You know, I think Grant has a thing for Tess Mercer." Jimmy put his camera on her desk.

Lois raised her eyebrows, "Hmmm,"

Jimmy smiled and saw Lois glance at the frame photo next to him. But her eyes only lingered on it for a split second, something he would have missed if he didn't pay any attention. He picked up the photo, looked at it and then placed it on the desk.

"Don't give up hope, Lois." Jimmy said reassuringly to the thoughts that ran through her mind. He knew what she was thinking, because it was predictable.

"I really miss him." Lois said, "He's my best friend, my soulmate. But what if he's dead Jimmy. Abby's going to grow up without a father."

"Lois. He can't die. You know that."

"But you know his weakness. What if someone found out? It's been 2 years. And I just want someone to find him. Dead or alive, I just need closure."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

7 hours earlier.

A blonde cashier sat at her station, emptying the cash register.

She then handed the large wad of cash over to the 6 feet tall masked man in front of her, who was pointing a rifle at her stomach.

"Thank you darling," he said. Then leaned forward. "You know, usually I don't do this with girls I just meet, but would you like to have dinner with me?"

She shook her head.

"Okay." he said putting the money in a brown duffel bag.

Then he grabbed her from behind the counter and flung her over across the room.

"Dude!" another masked man said, "Can you lay off the steroids for once."

Both men looked down at the customers and guards lying on the floor.

Damn, I think I got a crick in my neck.

I should have gone to Stuarts.

Why am I craving?... oh shut up.

"So long folks!" the first masked man said as he and his accomplice walked out.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Present time. Sped up to 7pm

They sat on some stacked wooden crates behind an old abandoned apartment building, counting their money under a dimly lighted streetlight.

"Jake, you've got to tell me your secret."

"What secret Stan?"

"The way you got so strong all of a sudden." Stan said, "Did you sell your soul to the Devil or something?"

"Something like that." Jake replied.

"You've had your fun boys. Now return the money back to Mr. Bryce Lee."

A female's voice was heard. From somewhere.

Jake and Stan got up, holding their duffel bags close and looked around.

It was only a voice in the darkness.

"Who's there? Show yourself." Stan addressed the nothingness.

She stepped out of the shadows. She wore a black T-shirt with a silver fancy looking I printed on it, a black pair of jeans, black ankle boots and a long black leather jacket that streamed out behind her. She wore a black mask covering her eyes and the wind gently played with her long black hair that reached just below her underarms.

"Come on boys. I'm asking nicely. No one gets hurt." She said.

"Oh that's what you need to be afraid of, pretty lady." Jake said.

"Isis. But names are insignificant." She glanced at her clean short nails and then glanced back at them. "But what is significant is the number of years you both will spend behind bars."

Stan stepped up to her. She was tiny. He could take her.

He grabbed her neck, but not to choke her. Just to threaten. Just to watch with pleasure as she squirmed out of his grasp.

She smiled at his dominance. A shot of her right knee went up.

Stan's smug expression crumbled. Jake mumbled a swear word.

One down, going fetal.

Jake saw a baton on the ground next to him. He picked it up, with the intention of bashing her face into her skull.

As he came towards her, she blocked the attack. While he had strength, she had balance. She kicked his feet apart and he fell. He got up unhurt and went over to a tire leaning against the wall.

He picked it up and flung it with intense force in her direction.

Isis ducked.

The tire flew over her head. But there was no sound of a crash.

How far did I throw it?

Someone stepped out of the shadows and yet was not of this earth. Standing 6 feet 8 inches tall. Was it a he? It looked male. Body proportions like a human, except pumped on steroids. His skin was grey in complexion. Bony protrusions were all over his body, even replacing his eyelashes. His eyes were red with fury.

He growled a low thunderous rumble.

Jake began to run. The Beast began to rip the tire apart easily. Soon it was this long piece of two inch wide black rope, several feet long. He flicked it forward.

Jake felt something wrap around his legs. But instead of falling, he felt a jerk and was snapped back to the Beast like a yo yo.

"Don't even think about it big guy." Isis quipped.

The Beast looked at her. He got a new toy, the human sized version.

"Alright." He said in his low voice. He took Jake and tied him to the lamp post. He looked over at Stan who was going blue in the face.

"Yeah, him too." She said. The Beast went over to Stan and picked up him and placed him next to Jake. Isis took out a long piece of rope from her jacket pocket and tied him to the post.

The redness in the beast's eyes began to clear up to a almost brown black colour.

He clutched his stomach.

"Come on big fella." Isis took his arm and let him away to another back alley. He fell to the ground, scaring a cat that darted from behind a dumpster.

Isis went over to blue backpack behind the dumpster and opened it. She took out a pair of jeans and other clothing items.

He crawled away from the light and curled up. His skin started fading away revealing a second skin underneath - skin of a human. The bony protrusions receded back into his skin.

She crouched next to him holding his clothes. Isis took off her mask and wig revealing a short blonde bob.

"Chloe!" his eyes flew open as if from a nightmare.

"I'm right here Davis." She said putting her right hand gently on his head. "I'm right here."