Author's Note: So sorry to keep everyone waiting folk, but here it is. The next chapter of Return of Superboy Prime. I know it's been a while, but trust me, this will not be the norm. With this story well past it's halfway mark, I will be devoting my energies now to wrapping this one up.
Thanks so much to all those who have read and reviewed. I am always ovewhelmed by the praise that this story has recieved, as well as the recognition. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter and as always, write a review, get a response. That is, as long as I have a way to respond.
Enjoy.
--
Battle raged on. Destruction had turned this small all-American town into ground zero and at the heart of it all, Superboy Prime fought with all he had to free himself from it. But it wasn't enough. There were so many heroes, and they just kept coming and coming. Their entire world was falling apart, and yet they kept trying to beat him up, and he wasn't even a bad guy! He couldn't think with them constantly coming at him, he was just reacting. "Stop hitting me."
"You're the one breaking bones in a mindless rage." Superboy Prime didn't recognize the hero in the large, bulking metal armor as he came up from behind him. He didn't recognize most of these heroes really.
"I just wanted to talk to Superboy." Superboy Prime insisted as he knocked his armored attacker away from him, desperate for some air. He couldn't feel himself breathing over the panic. "You started this!"
This was out of hand. He needed to get away. Needed to find Superman and Lois and make them understand. Let them explain-
"'You started this?'" A voice from behind mocked in mimickery. "He's just a stupid kid."
"I'm not stupid!" For a second, rage concealed and replaced fear as Superboy Prime's fist shot at his attacker from behind. He just meant to knock her away. "I…"
His words fell away as something the exact size and shape of a human head rolled away like a discarded cantaloupe, leaving a decapitated body to fall to the ground before him lifelessly.
Superboy Prime couldn't think as he gaped at the sight. He couldn't feel anything. His vision blurred as he looked down to see crimson blood all over his palms and fingers. "…oh no." His voice whispered croakily. "…I didn't mean to do that."
The head of Pantha rolled another few feet before coming to a stop before two of the attacking heroes. They looked down to see the remains of their dear friend, of their valued teammate, discarded. Left out to rot. She had been killed, murdered. And all by some spoiled little brat.
"You'll burn for that." Red Start hissed as behind him, the baby Wildebeest grunted in agreement.
"Get 'em!" The battle cry came out from another voice Superboy Prime didn't recognize, a female, as the very concrete and stone beneath him seemed to erupt in anger, throwing him up into the air limp, helplessly.
"I'm with you, Terra."
"Please!" Superboy Prime choked out for mercy over his tears. This was all so wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this. He wasn't supposed to be like this. He had to find Alex; had to find Superman. "I said I didn't mean to!"
His pleas went unheeded as a giant brute of a beast tackled him back. Panic and fear guided his reaction as Superboy Prime fired a blast of heat vision, burning right through his assailant. This time, he didn't even hesitate at the realization that he'd killed again.
--
Most people think that the Batman is a… complicated person. That he lives by the very mystery and shadow that he tends to shroud himself in. But nothing could be further from the truth. In the end, he is really quite a simple figure.
It's the criminals. Most fancy themselves as predators. Others are even so bold to see themselves as dark gods visiting their wrath on those unworthy by right of might. But in the end, they are just scavengers. They target the weak, the helpless. They attack those who can't defend themselves, all for their own wants and desires.
Criminals prey on the weak.
And the Batman preys on criminals.
The three punks hadn't exactly been subtle as they walked down the streets of Gotham in the dead of night, barely even bothering to conceal their .9 mms. When they rushed into the liquor store, they only fired a single shot to get the cashier's attention. At first, the night might have ended in nothing but simple robbery.
But then they found the two co-eds cowering in the back of the store. The pair had been looking to test out their new fake IDs and score some beer for their friends. The punks had seen this and decided to take the girls back to the nearest alley for their own private 'party'.
The Batman had seen this and decided to crash the party.
"I can't believe you're back in Gotham." Oracle's voice came in loudly and clearly over the earpiece in the Batman's cowl. "Especially while he's still on the loose."
"I needed some air." The Batman answered back simply as he stood in the alleyway.
"Did you break them much?" Oracle quipped with a slight amusement.
"They'll walk again." Batman did nothing to acknowledge the groanings from the punks lying around him as the pair of co-eds ran off into the night to look for the police.
"Why didn't you all just go after him after the GL attack?" Oracle still felt the need to press the matter.
"Ion disappeared with our only sample of the virus." Batman responded in his usual, gruff voice with a small hint of frustration. "The JSA had to leave at that point, and I needed to get back to my city."
"You left J'onn to monitor him, didn't you?"
"Any activity?"
"Wish I could tell you." Oracle let out an exhausted sigh. "He just shot down our ninth satellite that we've tried to position over him. We don't even get more than a split second of feed before he destroys them, so we don't even really know if he's still on the New England coast anymore, though it seems like a safe bet." Oracle let out a breath as she rationalized aloud "We could make it an even ten, but you know, someone's going to have to replace those and not all of us are made of money."
"Reposition the satellite." Batman stated calmly.
"You know, the irony is that we wouldn't be having this problem if you still had Brother Eye-"
"Reposition the satellite." Batman restated with an edge that promptly cut the banter off.
"You know, you could have always Power Girl watch him."
"The JSA got called away." Batman reminded her. "Apparently with the Secret Society's leadership in a dustpan, Black Adam has decided to renew his vows against them."
"You can always trust the smell of blood to bring out the predators." Oracle mused. "Well what about Superman?"
"He's away on personal matters." Batman answered.
--
Clark Kent hurried out the elevator, past several nurses and a hallway filled with injured people. The veteran reporter and super hero reminded himself that this was just one of many hospitals pushed past their limits tending to the injured of Superboy Prime's attack. Still, such thoughts were pushed to the back of his mind. He had urgent business here and shameful as it was to admit, even Superman could be selfish at times.
"Mr. Kent!" Dr. Jeremy Bugges called out over the noise and commotion going on all around him.
"Doctor." Clark Kent took his hand, shaking it eagerly all the while never breaking pace. "I got your call and rushed over here as fast as I could. How is she?"
"Stable." The doctor spoke as they both walked. "Assuming the best, she stands an excellent chance of recovery."
At this, Clark Kent stopped dead in his tracks, eyeing the good doctor squarely. "Doctor, I've been a reporter for a number of years now. I know when someone's trying not to tell me something and that was the worst cover up line I've ever heard."
Caught dead to rights, the doctor took the trouble to gather himself before explaining further. "She has a single deep wound that missed all her vital organs. That's the good news. The problem Mr. Kent is that her blood pressure is dangerously high. She bled out a lot before we could get to her. Normally, we would just transfuse her, but our blood banks are practically dry."
"I thought your sister hospital from Gotham was sending relief supplies by air?" Clark Kent prided himself on being a man in the know. It was, after all, how he kept his job.
"They are. Unfortunately, they are only sending us another hundred and five units and we need at least another hundred and fifty." At this, the doctor looked up uneasily at the husband in front of him "And, to be honest sir, your wife isn't exactly at the top of the list. As much as I hate to say it, there are people a lot worse than her."
"I see." Clark Kent's voice fell somewhat at this.
"I assure you sir; we are doing everything possible to get more supplies here for everyone, including your wife."
Clark Kent paused for a moment before looking back up at the doctor. "Maybe I know a few people who can help."
--
Unlike Metropolis, Smallvile had not endured much over the year. The most excitement the small town would usually see was their Fourth of July celebration. And a few years back, there had been a violent thunder storm that had shaken a few foundations and caused some major flooding.
None of which had helped the inhabitants to prepare for an alien attack. Homes and businesses alike had suffered damage from simple holes in the roofs to being shattered outright. The local construction company sent out 'a guy' to do some estimates. No one really knew what to call him; he was just 'the guy'. But he drove a fancy sports car and had hands too smooth to have ever worked a day of construction labor in his life. The guy took a look around before declaring that it might takes over three years of heavy labor, and at a modest fee of course, for the town to be restored to its original glory.
Then he turned a sickly shade of green, silently kissing the new sports car of his dreams farewell, as Superboy Prime repaired the damage within a matter of minutes. Prime had convinced the people of the town to at least reimburse the gentlemen for the materials as he did the works of hundreds of men in the blink of an eye.
If Prime had been their hero before, the people of the town saw him as nothing short of their own personal second coming now. He fixed their roofs, rebuilt their homes, he even helped Mrs. Rosenalla fix the leak in her bathroom (the dripping was keeping her cat up at night). He never once complained, he never asked for anything in return. He just smiled a helpful smile and set everything right. By the time the sun had set, the people of Smallvile had all been able to go home as if nothing had ever happened.
It was something for him to do. And it allowed him to put off confronting Laurie and her mother and having a long discussion that he was now dreading.
Those stupid Lanterns had followed him. He'd thought he'd made it clear to them not to mess with him. He'd left them alone; why couldn't they leave him alone? And those awful heroes... He knew that they were still trying to spy on him. He'd been shooting down their stupid satellites ever since the Lantern attack. It was only a matter of time before they came after him too. He knew he couldn't stay here.
He hated them. He hated them so much. They always made everything worse. And they never left him alone. They just kept coming. He could never just hit them all and make them go away and… wait. Was that it?
Superboy Prime stopped dead in his tracks as he flew back and forth across the small town that had once been his home. Could that be the answer? It sounded simple enough. Superboy Prime hovered where he had stopped for almost another half an hour, working out details in his mind.
Yes. It seemed like it could work. But there was only one way to be sure. A shiver ran down Superboy Prime's backside. He'd have to leave Smallvile, leave Laurie behind. To make sure this plan could work meant going back to Metropolis. And the risks… Best case scenario, he could bring his world back. He could go home to his parents. But the worst case scenario; well the worst case scenario was something he simply would never allow himself to live through again.
But he had no choice.
Superboy Prime knew he couldn't leave without saying goodbye. Taking a glance around town, it didn't take him long to find Laurie and her mother. The two stood out in their own front yard, looking up right at him. Or rather, Laurie was looking at him, while Sarah seemed to be casting some uncertain glances back between him and Laurie.
The part of him that was still Clark Kent couldn't really blame her. He knew that he had given Sarah Lemmon more than enough cause for concern. He'd lied to her, brought an alien force down on top of her house and placed her only daughter in mortal peril. He was pretty sure the very idea of he and Laurie getting married now would send her either into a fit of hysterics, or a heart attack, or more likely both in that order.
As he flew down in front of them, landing gently on the Lemmon front lawn, Laurie ran up and threw herself into his arms. Just the smell of her hair, the feeling of her warm cheeks against his as her arms wrapped tightly around him; in that instant he realized that it all still overwhelmed him every bit as much as when he'd first seen her alive again in Metropolis.
He would never have guessed she was having the same reaction even as she forced out a casual "Hey."
"Hey." He replied over a single tear. Just one.
"Are…How…" She couldn't even begin to figure out what to say or ask. She just wanted to hold onto him, but still felt the need to fill in the silence. "I was worried about you."
"I know." She spoke into the shoulder of her sweater even as his right hand snaked its way up to her hair. "I was worried about you too."
Neither said anything further for another long several seconds until the two finally pulled back
"We were worried about you."
"We?" Clark then looked up at Sarah Lemmon starring back at the both of them. "Oh."
Sarah walked up to Clark, who remained frozen with the look of a little boy caught stealing a cookie before dinner. "So I guess we haven't properly introduced ourselves." Sarah let out steadily as she extended her hand. "I'm Sarah Lemmon."
Clark let out a dry chuckle as he took her hand in his own. "I'm Clark Kent." He then looked down on himself still in his costume. "Superboy Prime."
"Why 'Prime'?" She asked.
"It's a long story." He assured with a smile.
Sarah just nodded with acceptance. "Laurie told me how the two of you really met." At this, Clark looked up at Laurie worried, but Sarah just leaned in, wrapping her arms around Clark as she whispered into his shoulders. "Thank you for saving my baby."
Clark didn't know what to say, he just continued to hold her, looking up at Laurie who seemed every bit as speechless as he was.
"When Laurie's father died… and she couldn't come home, some part of me thought I'd lost them both." Sarah confessed soberly. "You can never know how grateful I am that you brought her back to me." At this, Sarah cleared her face as she pulled away from him.
He looked at her every bit as soberly as she did him as he confessed. "I can't stay. I have to go."
"What?" Laurie asked, moving up alongside her mother.
"Where?" Sarah asked.
"Back to Metropolis."
"Why?" Laurie insisted.
"I... I can't explain." Clark felt himself pressed between a rock and a hard place. He could think of nothing he wanted more than to stay with them. But he knew he couldn't. Not as long as the heroes of this Earth were hounding after him. And who knew when the Green Lanterns would regroup and come after him again. "I just… I have to go."
"Then I'm coming with you." Laurie took another step forward resolutely.
"What?" Sarah asked, terrified.
"No." Superboy Prime replied with the same resolve.
"Yes." Laurie looked back at her fiancée fiercely. "When I agreed to be your wife, that meant standing by your side no matter what. So if you have to go back to Metropolis, then I'm going too."
"Wife?" Sarah looked aghast at her daughter. However, both Clark and Laurie were too locked in their standoff to notice.
"You can't follow me on this one." Clark insisted. "Not all the way."
"Then I'll follow as far as I can." Laurie stated resolutely.
"It's not safe." Clark continued to argue, even as the look in Laurie's eyes told him without a doubt that this was one fight he was going to lose.
Laurie responded as honestly as she ever had in her life "If there is one thing I'm sure of, it's that the safest place for me to be on this Earth is by your side."
"Wife?" Sarah reiterated loudly enough to end the quarrel and bring both sets of eyes looking squarely back at her.
"Uh, yeah." Laurie swallowed the oversized lump in her throat as she softly admitted. "Clark proposed to me last night."
"I even got a ring, finally." Clark had been able to approach a local jeweler who'd been only too happy to help. When it was all said and done, it made for quite an engagement ring. Reaching into his pocket, he held it out for both women's inspection.
"Whoa." Sarah had to admit. Its glow and the color. It looked like something out of a movie.
"How did you get the gem out of my pocket?" Laurie double checked her pants pockets to make sure that this was indeed the same rock Clark had brought back for her.
"You dropped it during the attack." Clark answered. Then, feeling his heart pounding, he felt himself take one last step to close the distance between the two of them, Superboy Prime got down on one knee before Laurie, causing her to look around in horrified embarrassment. "May I?"
"Clark…" Laurie began to blush furiously even as she tried to hide her face behind her hand. "We're out on my front lawn."
"And I'm on my knee, so you'd better hurry up and give me your hand." Clark just joked as he reached out with his left hand, taking her right in his.
Laurie thought she might cry as Clark pressed the ring onto her finger. She twisted and wiggled her finger to help it slide on. When it finally came to rest, it was a perfect fit. She just stared, transfixed by its glamour and splendor. It wasn't obscene, but to even glance at it made it impossible to look away.
Finally, she did, as she looked back to Clark who was looking up at her, unable to breathe until she finally spoke. "It's beautiful."
He rose up off his knees and into a hug, the two of them caught up in their own private bubble, cut off from the world. That is, until the sound of a throat being cleared off to the side caught both their attention.
"Mom?" Laurie looked to her mother for acceptance and support. When she saw neither immediately, she began to worry as she took a hesistatant step towards her mother.
"Just-" Sarah Lemmon held out her hand, freezing her daughter where she stood. "Just give me a second with this one."
Laurie looked at her mother, frightened. After everything that she had been through, the thought of losing her mother over anything, especially Clark, was something that would break her heart.
"I'm… I just…" Sarah Lemmon looked back into the face of her daughter, and then back to the young man she had first come to know as Clark and now as Superboy. Both were caught in their tracks, unable to move or breathe or laugh ever again without acknowledgement from her. She tried to shake away the tears as she waved towards herself. "Just, get over here. Both of you."
Laurie was the first to let out a long held sigh of relief as she rushed into her mother's arms, relieved beyond all measure. A few seconds later, an uncertain Clark too found himself welcomed by the embrace.
"I don't know what to say." She sniffed as she held them both, each one returning the favor gratefully. "I always knew Laurie would bring home a boy sooner or later. I just never thought in a million years she would ever bring home Superboy.
"Prime." Clark corrected softly.
"Prime. Superboy Prime." Sarah recalled her manners.
None of the three said anything for another second or two until Superboy Prime finally pulled back. "I still have to go."
"No. 'We' still have to go." Laurie looked him in the eyes placing emphasis on the plural as she held up her right hand with her new engagement ring.
"Laurie…" Superboy Prime began to plead but was cut off.
"Clark. I'm. Going." All at once, the fire she had leveled at Clark dimed as she turned to her mother sympathetically, explaining "I have to go."
Sarah Lemmon just seemed to nod in acceptance. "I know."
"I'm so sorry I couldn't stay longer." Laurie moved forward, giving her mother another hug, this one farewell. From off to the sides, Superboy Prime looked on as the two Lemmon women said their silent good byes.
He thought he might cry as well at the sight. This was all the family he had left in the world. The thought of ever losing even one of them was more than he could bear. For a moment, he thought about simply flying off right now, and leaving Laurie behind where she would be safe.
But the moment seemed to pass as Sarah Lemmon pulled away from her daughter and walked up to him, giving him a parting hug as well. He leaned in, wrapping his arms gently around her when his ears perked up at the sound of her voice. "Take care of her. She's all I have left."
Me too. Superboy Prime admitted silently before swearing with a quiet resolve "I give you my word; nothing will ever happen to her as long as I'm alive."
That seemed to satisfy Sarah Lemmon as she nodded into his shoulder before pulling back. Superboy Prime nodded to them both for a moment before disappearing into the house, only to reappear with the bag he and Laurie had brought. The Lemmon women both chucked for a moment at this as Superboy Prime seemed to look back at them with such casualness. Finally, nodding in acknowledgement, Laurie walked up to him as Superboy Prime lifted her up in his arms and flew off into the sky.
The two flew into the air for several minutes before Laurie cried out over the gust of wind all around her "Clark, slow down."
"Why?" Superboy Prime looked at her. He didn't think he had been flying too fast for her. "It's going to take us a few hours at this speed to get there as it is." Of course, he was capable of making the trip in no time at all, but at that speed, Laurie would never survive the trip.
"Good." Laurie spoke back. "That'll give you the time to explain why those aliens were after you. And why the Titans were after you in Metropolis."
At this, Superboy Prime looked at her with horrified astonishment.
"I know there are things you're not telling me." Laurie's voice came in loud and clear. "Things that you've been keeping from me since we met. But I'm done pretending to look the other way, so you had better start talking. And remember Clark," she called to him as she look him in the eye with fierce resolve "I've seen you talk to my mother. I know what you look like when you lie."
--
"He's gone."
"You're sure?"
"Pretty sure." Oracle's voice came in over the Batcave's sound system. "Lucky number ten came over the New England coast minutes ago without a glitch. Took over fifty thousand pictures of the area in sixty seconds and he wasn't in any of them."
"Then he's on the move again." Batman reasoned aloud.
"Any ideas where?"
"It makes it difficult to analyze his history for previous patterns and habits when he doesn't actually have a history." Batman remarked as his eyes scanned over every bit of data anyone in the universe had on the boy as it was displayed for his inspection on the Bat Computer.
"So that's 'Batman' for 'you don't know?" Oracle asked.
"Contact me if anything else comes up. Batman out." And with that, the Dark Knight ended the communication.
Behind where he sat, the voice of the world's most tried and tested gentlemen's gentlemen had the audacity to do what no other in the world would dare. He interrupted the Batman's brooding. "Not quite one of Gotham's most notorious, is he sir?"
The Dark Knight's voice rose slightly at this. "Alfred, have you been snooping through my files again?"
"Sir." The gentlemen's gentlemen straightened with indignation. "To 'snoop' implies that I somehow managed to access your secured and locked away files without authorization or permission, possibly through the use of means that were either dastardly or underhanded and unbecoming of a civilized man." At this, Alfred cleared his voice. "You left the folder open on the table again, sir."
Batman held in a very tired sigh.
"Very interesting, if somewhat light, reading though I confess." Alfred dared to venture on where any other human being of sound mind would have stopped long ago. "A boy driven mad by the loss of his parents and the destruction of his world." He took the trouble of raising his voice a single decibel at this. "Almost tragic to imagine the effect that that might have on a young man."
Batman didn't even flinch. "That 'tragic young man' let his grief drive him to madness and murder."
"Just as you say sir." At this, Alfred bore the expression of a man who had properly been put in his place, and had been that way for his entire life. "I would never dare presume to judge such matters that are not my concern, particularly when I have only a second hand account of events." At this, Alfred took the trouble to clear his voice before speaking again. "It is after all my experience that this world casts far too many such judgments too quickly already sir. How I dread the day when I should find myself in such company."
Batman took a second deep breath before speaking in his most intimidating voice he could muster. The one that had been known to make even Superman bluster. "Are you finished?"
Alfred cast a satisfied glance across the cave, otherwise unfazed by the burning ire directed at him. "Indeed so sir. It appears everything's in order down here. Since you'll doubtless be spending another late night sir, might I interest you in a late meal before I retire then?" At this, Alfred made his way up the stairs that lead into the manor. "Perhaps something cold sir?"
Batman continued to remain fixed on the monitors in front of him for several seconds longer before calling out "Alfred."
"Sir?"
"Chicken soup."
"Very good sir." Alfred continued up the stairs. "Perhaps this time you'll actually touch it before it becomes exposed to one of your test tubes and tries to get up and walk away again, sir."
--
The flight had been a long one; longer than either of them cared for. But there had been no escaping the truth where Laurie's gaze was concerned. And for Superboy Prime, who had been running from it for longer than he cared to think of before that moment, it had been an utter torture.
Laurie had listened to his every word, carefully observing his body language, eye contact, tone of voice, all of it. The stuff she had heard had surprised, delighted, shocked and horrified her all at once. When he was done telling his story, she was speechless. He tried to get her to say something. He begged and pleaded for some kind of reaction from him, but she kept quiet, lost in deep thought.
By the time the pair had arrived in Metropolis, the sun had long set. The sight of the full moon as it reflected off the Hobbes River seemed to make the water glow. It should have been a romantic moment for the newly engaged couple, but the moment was completely lost on both of them. Superboy Prime felt his stomach churn with a new kind of acid and tighten in knots that were painful as he landed atop the building where Laurie lived.
Setting her down, she never said word. He looked to her desperately for some kind of reaction, but she said nothing. She just took a few empty steps away in no particular direction. Finally, he couldn't take it any longer. "Laurie, please. Say something."
She didn't say a word. She just stood, facing away from him.
"Laurie." He pleaded again.
Still nothing.
"Laurie, please answer me!"
"You." She answered back, her soft whisper ringing loudly and clearly in his super sensitive ears. "You killed them."
"I didn't mean to." He insisted yet again. "They made me."
"You killed them." She repeated as if she hadn't heard a word he'd said. Turning about to face him, a deep hurt radiated through her perfect eyes, leaving Superboy Prime to feel…smaller, weaker. "You killed real heroes."
"They're not heroes, Laurie!" Superboy Prime insisted. "Look at what they've done. Look at what they've let happen, to this world. To you!"
"This isn't about me!" She shouted back furiously, half crazed and borderline hysterical. "You killed."
"I never meant to." Superboy Prime pleaded with a look of desperation as the fury in her voice tore through him as if he were made of paper. "All I've ever done, all I ever wanted, was to be able to hold you again. To see my parents again. That's all I ever wanted."
"And that makes it ok?" Laurie looked at him incredulously. "How many people did you have to kill to get what you wanted? How many more people have to die before you get your way?"
"I'm trying to save lives!" Superboy Prime shouted back over tears as they suddenly began pouring furiously down the side of his face. He did nothing to clear them as he shouted back at Laurie with rage or fear. He could no longer distinguish. "I'm trying to save Earth Prime. Our Earth. I'm trying to save my parents, your father."
"Shut up." At this, Laurie backed away with a venomous look in her eyes.
"Billions died; were erased. Everyone on our Earth. And no one cared. None of these so-called 'heroes' did anything to save it. They just shrugged and went on like we never existed. But we did exist! We were happy together and when we lost everything, nobody did anything about it. But I did." At this, he took a desperate step forward. "Laurie, I can bring back our Earth."
"No." Laurie took another step back. She refused to let herself get swept up in whatever madness had corrupted the small boy she had grown up with and the young man that she had fallen in love with.
"I'm almost positive." He insisted pleadingly. "I can undo everything. All my mistakes, all those deaths… they'll never have happened. Everything will be better."
"No." She felt his words seep into her. For a split second, she felt herself pause.
"Ever since our Earth became part of this new Earth, everything about it has slowly fallen away. Become worse. Our Earth was better alone. It was pure. We were pure."
"I said shut up!" Laurie felt images from her recent past spring unbidden to her conscious memory. The harder she tried to block them out, the more Clark's words echoed in her mind.
"I can fix it all. Bring back my parents, your father. I can…" He was interrupted as she began walking away from him. "Laurie. Laurie!" He called out to her but she turned about and ran towards the fire escape leading down the side of the building. He knew he could have stopped her in an instant, but he couldn't. He just called out to her. "Laurie. Laurie, please come back." But she never once stopped.
He felt his heart seize and clutch. He wanted to hurl. He could go after her, only he couldn't. He was too afraid of her. Too afraid of what she might say. He just stood there, helpless.
--
The Green Lanterns had been in a bad state after their attack against Superboy Prime. So bad that it didn't seem like many would survive the trip to the nearest Green Lantern safe house. Instead, it was Ion who had constructed an emergency medical center at the edge of Earth's solar system where the wounded Lanterns could be tended too. Supplies were being rushed both from other worlds friendly to the Corps and even from the Justice League to tend to the countless wounded.
And within the large emerald space center, sitting off alone in a pre-constructed waiting room, sitting, brooding, Ion looked down. He'd been that way ever since he was satisfied that there was nothing more that could be done for the more critical Lanterns. Having no real medical experience of his own, he'd been able to do little more than call for help as the Lanterns constructed their own medical drones and different devices and equipment to tend to their wounded comrades. With nothing more to occupy his attention, he felt himself longing to be alone.
However, his fellow Earth man Alan Scott, who had been on hand to deliver what supplies and aid the League and Society could offer, did not seem to respect that desire for privacy. He walked up casually, taking a seat across the emerald table from the sulking Ion.
"I understand you saved a lot of lives yesterday."
"Yeah." Ion answered back, despondent. "Got the Lanterns to call off the attack. Jury is still out on whether or not that's a good thing though."
"You talked down the Guardians of the universe. That's still got to count for something." Alan declared with a raised eyebrow. "I don't even think Batman's managed to pull that one off."
"Want to know how I did it?" Ion asked, not even bothering to wait for Alan's response. "I threatened to quit. Quit." Ion repeated in disbelief of his own actions. "Do you know what would happen if any other Green Lantern had the audacity to stand in front of the Guardians of the Universe and threaten to walk out unless they got what they wanted?"
"From what I recall of the last two people who couldn't take 'no' for an answer from the Guardians, I'd say you handled it exceptionally well by comparison." Alan replied with what might have been perceived as a small amount of pride in his voice.
"And that's just my point." Ion looked up desperately to the senior Green Lantern of the Golden Age. "I ordered the Guardians to stand down. I ordered and they obeyed. What if I end up down the same path that Sinestro and Parallax took? If I decide that I want to use my power to make things the way I want them to be instead of the way they need to be."
"Do you think you will?" Alan asked, directly to the point.
"No." Ion faltered somewhat at this. "I don't know. Sometimes… I guess sometimes I wish she hadn't done it." Kyle Rayner looked up at this into Alan Scott's eyes as he confessed "I wish she hadn't given me her light. It shouldn't have been me. Hal or John instead. Kilowog would have been perfect to wield the power but not me."
"And why do you suppose she didn't give it to them? It wasn't because you two dated. Or so that you could stop the bad guy. It wasn't even because she loved you."
Alan saw Kyle's face drop back to the table, and took a moment. Truth be told, he needed it as well.
"The last time you wielded it, you used your power to undo a terrible wrong. You gave it away. You resisted the temptation where even the great Hal Jordan faltered."
"That wasn't Hal." Ion insisted quickly. "That was Parallax."
Alan gave a single, silent chuckle at this. "'Parallax' scarified himself to save the Earth. Seems like a strange thing for a yellow fear demon to do, don't you think?" This drew Kyle's face back up with a surprised look. "I've never said this before but I've always suspected that as Parallax, Hal had more control over himself than he might want to admit too."
"So… what?" Ion's voice rose slightly at this. "You're saying…"
"I'm saying every one of us has to face their demons. Like Sinestro, Hal eventually lost to his. But unlike Sinestro, he kept fighting and eventually beat them back. He fights them everyday and so do all of us, even the great Ion."
Kyle had to chuckle at this, giving Alan the encouragement to continue.
"You'll be tempted by your power. Truth is I don't think there's a hero out there that hasn't been at some point or another. We're not gods because we are able to vanquish our demons completely; we're human because we wake up each day and decide we won't let them win today." Alan gave a moment to emphasize. "That's the best we can do. We wake up in the morning and decide that we won't let our demons win today."
Ion paused for a long moment as he thought hard on Alan Scott's words. "I saw mine in the flesh yesterday. He was begging me to fight him and I wanted to. I wanted to so badly. I saw him and right then, it was so easy to believe that it was her fault she died."
Alan Scott raised his head as if doing calculations. "Your power against his. The two of you could have probably laid waste to the entire eastern coast if it went on long enough."
"I still wanted to."
"But you didn't." Alan reminded with more than a hint of pride this time. "You saved a lot of lives instead rather than give him what he wanted. And if you're still itching for a fight, I'm sure you'll get it soon enough."
Ion chuckled slightly, more out of eagerness at the thought then out of any sort of amusement. "You know, when I first joined the League, I didn't think I'd ever outgrow being the 'rookie' of the team. I figured I could be Green Lantern for twenty years, and I'd still be 'the new guy."
Alan chuckled as Kyle's declaration brought back all too familiar feelings within the veteran GL.
"The best was when the Corps was brought back. I wasn't a rookie or a legend. I was just one of the guys." Ion gave a frustrated sigh as he confessed "Now, some of the veterans, GLs from even before Hal's time; they all look at me like I'm some sort of savior. Some of them even call me the 'Angel of the Corps'. And I don't have the first clue how to be that."
Alan Scot finally sat down opposite the frustrated Kyle Rayner. "Maybe I'm not the one you should talk to then."
--
Superboy Prime felt as if he were carrying himself as he flew on over the streets of Metropolis. He had periodically been peaking in on Laurie since she ran off. For the time being, she was alone in her room within her building, safe.
That was as good a place for her as any. He knew he couldn't bring her with him for what he had in mind next. He wanted to. If the worst happened, he couldn't bear the thought of being trapped without her. But he couldn't risk condemning her to his fate.
Not to an eternity in the Crystal Paradise.
When Superman had first shattered the barriers between the Crystal Paradise and this world, it had opened up over the Antarctic where they had rebuilt Superman's fortress. That entrance way had been closed behind them as there was never to be any reason for them to return to the Crystal Paradise ever again.
But there was still another way back in.
It was the way out that Superboy Prime had first created. When he and Alex had been trying to escape without Superman and Lois' knowledge, Alex had used some of his anti-matter powers to energize the cells in Superboy Prime's body. In doing so, Prime had been able to punch a whole in the Crystal Paradise which opened up, ironically enough, over the top of the Daily Planet.
It was how Superboy Prime and Alex were able to leave the Crystal Paradise and orchestrate the various details of Alex's plan, and still be able to return in order to satisfy Superman and Lois with their presence.
Now, it was Prime's only way back in.
Normally, Superboy Prime would never return to that hell in a million years, but now he had no choice. He had a plan. A way to bring back Earth Prime. But he had to know that it would work. He couldn't live through another failed attempt. He had to be sure.
From within the Crystal Paradise, Alex had been able to mentally compute over seventy eight thousand different scenarios for creating his 'perfect Earth' before finally finding one he was satisfied with. From there, Superboy Prime would be able to ensure the success of his one and only plan.
He reached the top of the Daily Planet with a smirk. The entrance way was hidden; completely invisible. Of course, finding it was remarkably easy, as long as one knew where to look. All one had to do was stand in front of it and just will it to appear.
The first time he had tried to return, he had almost panicked when he couldn't make it appear; when he could find the precise spot. He'd relaxed then when he realized that never finding it meant never having to return to that hell again. He'd almost cursed his luck when he'd finally been able to make it appear. This time, there was no hesitation. He hovered precisely twenty meters over the second large 'L' of the enshrined words 'DAILY PLANET' and willed the doorway to appear.
Right on command, a whole that seemed to lead out into nothingness appeared before him. A thousand unspoken fears leapt at Superboy Prime's heart, pleading with him not to return. If something happened, if the doorway closed for whatever reason, he might be trapped again. There was no sun in the Crystal Paradise, and the crystals within his skin might not last long enough to sustain him if he tried another escape without Alex's help.
But there was no other way. He would not allow himself to remain on this earth as a boy that didn't exist, the shadow of a dead hero. No. He silenced his doubts and fears as he flew right through the whole.
Almost immediately, he found himself surrounded on all sides by the crystalline structures that created a vast landscape before him. It was a contained environment that seemed to go on forever.
This world wasn't a world. It was a place that responded to their emotions and needs. It changed with their emotions and thoughts, but ultimately beneath the surface, it was always the same.
Superboy Prime cast a dispassionate glare around at his former prison. This was a wicked place. For all its trappings of a paradise, it was a nightmare that one never awoke from. Seconds felt like eternity here and vice versa. There was no passage of time. No way to even keep track of time from a personal perspective. While here, he'd never been hungry, he'd never gotten any older, his hair never got longer; he couldn't even remember sleeping. Oh there'd been a couple times when he'd felt his eyes get heavy and he would lie down, but then they'd open, and he'd be fine again, with no way to know if he'd actually dozed off or not.
Pushing the bile in his chest aside, Superboy Prime closed his eyes and focused his conscious mind on his plan. He could see it now. The images played out in his mind like a pre-recorded show.
Yes. It could work. But the heroes, they would try to stop him. Superboy Prime could see all the different ways the scenario might play itself out and decided something had to be done. There was far too high a margin for failure. He needed something to improve his odds.
Suddenly inspiration flashed across his mind. Re-analyzing his scenario with this new variable introduced, he felt a great relief surge through him. Yes, that was much better. He felt lighter than a feather as he realized it could work. It could all work, just the way he had always wanted it to. Earth Prime could return. It would take the place of this awful world.
When he had finished, he opened his eyes, and immediately felt a great weight overtake him. It was like fatigue, but he knew full well that he wasn't tired. It was this place; it was what this place did. It drained their souls; all of them. Every time they had used the crystals to remake this place as they wanted, it took something out of them. It was that that had made Lois so weak and old. She simply couldn't understand that she should never have aged a day within that dimension. Hell, Alex had gone from infant to young adult in a day, and even he never changed within the Crystal Paradise. But like all of them, this place had taken something from him too. It had taken something from all of them.
Superboy Prime picked himself up and quickly searched around for his exit. A quick panic worked its way through him when he didn't find it right away. But sure enough, he calmed when he saw it, exactly where it had always been.
Superboy Prime hovered at the doorway leading him to freedom before taking a last look around. He paused as he realized that he couldn't leave, not yet. There was one more thing to do.
Closing his eyes, Superboy Prime summoned all his will and began pulling at the Crystal Paradise. With all his strength of mind, he felt himself trying to crush the Crystal Paradise, to compress itself unto nothing. It was working, but slowly.
Reaching within himself, Prime dug deep, remembering his parents, remembering an eternity of looking at them and never being able to hold them. He remembered what this place had taken from him, what those heroes had taken from him; a world and a life that should have been his. Those heroes gave life and limb to save their own world but when his world had died, had any of them done anything? Had any of them even cared when he'd been left behind in that dark void with only Superman, Lois and Alex; left to die by the last reaching wave of the Anti-Monitor?
He felt the hate burning within him and channeled it. He felt the furnace inside him burn as the Crystal Paradise shrunk and crushed. All around him, shards and chunks of crystal began to topple and rain but he held onto his hate. It was working… all he needed was one…last…push.
Superboy Prime raced out of the whole in space, appearing back in Earth with a triumphant cry as behind him, the Crystal Paradise collapsed on itself, soundlessly, leaving only a flash of light as the doorway evaporated into nothingness.
Back over the streets of Metropolis, Prime felt himself take a deep breath of relief. It was gone. Sweet salvation, it was gone. He could only feel an enormous sense of triumph. He had destroyed the Crystal Paradise, and soon he would be able to restore Earth Prime. He could go home. After everything that had happened to him, he could really go back.
He allowed himself to leisurely fly across the streets of Metropolis, savoring it all even as he looked down with disgust at the city beneath him. This was a fake city. Created for a fake hero to protect. Its people had been created to suffer that their so-called hero might gain recognition and fame. He could never be content protecting an earth like this.
His musings were cut off as a sleek red sports car flew right up at him, knocking him out of the sky before he even had the chance to react. Prime never even had the chance to remark at the unreality of the event as both he and the car landed on the streets with a loud explosion at which Prime was at the center of.
On the street, people cried out and ran, clearing the area even as Prime pulled himself out of the wreckage, unharmed.
"Solomon Grundy. Born on a Monday."
Prime looked up at the hulking undead brute as he picked up another car, this one with an older man still inside. Middle aged, probably looking for a safe place to hide, only to find himself trapped in his own vehicle. The older man let out a cry as Grundy picked him up within his vehicle and threw him without hesitation at the young Superboy.
Prime flew forward, catching the car in his hands and lowering it to the ground. Satisfied that the gentleman inside was safe and otherwise unharmed, Superboy Prime turned about just in time to see another car, this one empty, as it was thrown right into him.
The force of the impact knocked Superboy Prime back, his seemingly frail frame collapsing beneath the ton of wreckage being dropped on him.
--
Laurie sat in the darkness within her hovel. She didn't bother turning on the single light in the middle of the room, she just sat on the floor in the corner of the room, lost in thought.
So many different thoughts, so many different emotions and every one of them conflicted with each other. She felt her thoughts chasing each other around in circles, and when she stopped for a moment to just look around, hoping to see Clark in the darkness, his warm smile protecting her, she felt so lost.
She kept trying to wrap her mind around it all. Clark said that he could bring back their Earth, and after everything she had seen from him in the last forty eight hours, she didn't doubt it. If he'd sworn that he could keep the sun from rising, she'd believe it. But was it worth it?
All that death. Laurie kept coming back to the images of Clark killing real super heroes. She kept envisioning him standing atop a mountain of mangled, costumed corpses. Of course, she knew that he had it in him to kill. It was one of the first acts she'd seen him commit. But that was different. Zack and his wretched friends deserved it.
But did that make it right?
At the time, it seemed like it did. Laurie had found it to be immensely satisfying even. But this… and now the notion of erasing an entire Earth just so that she could have her life back? So that they could live happily ever after together in Smallvile again. She was so sure it was wrong, but the harder she looked, the harder it became to find a reason why.
It was then that a small crash off in the distance caught her attention. Looking out in the window, she could hear the cries of people on the street and thought she might have heard something that could have been an explosion. In Metropolis, these sounds only meant one thing.
"Clark."
She didn't even hesitate as she rose up and ran out her door.
--
"Solomon Grundy. Born on a Monday."
"I heard you!" Superboy Prime cried out angrily as he tossed the wreckage off of himself once again. Apparently the sight of him standing unharmed again was more than Grundy could bear as the brute cried out angrily, charging right at him.
Superboy Prime didn't even flinch as he flew right at him like a speeding bullet, delivering a bone crushing punch that released another shockwave as it sent Solomon Grundy flying back helplessly. Grundy landed over two hundred yards from where Prime had punched him, digging a trench into the street beneath him.
"Solomon Grundy. Died on Saturday." Superboy Prime smirked as he recited the rhyme by memory. "Give or take a few days."
"Good bye." A voice from behind cried out. Superboy Prime immediately turned around to see a blue and red blur flying right at him, tackling him into the street, knocking up more concrete.
"You." Superboy Prime kicked off the figure tackling him, immediately recognizing him. "Bizzaro."
"You not like Bizzaro." The twisted creature commented as he charged Superboy Prime again without fear or thought, his fist crashed into Superboy Prime's face with a thunderous impact. "You taller."
"Shut up!" Superboy Prime had had more than enough. Frustrated, his fists dug up into Bizzaro, causing the creature to cry out, only no air escaped. Instead, it all came out at once from the force of Superboy Prime's punch.
"That…felt…good."
All but helpless, Bizzaro's gasp did nothing to stop a second punch as it bore down upon him, knocking him right through the street and into the sewer beneath.
"You're so stupid." Superboy Prime looked down at the sight of the battered Superman clone. Or was he more than just a dumb clone of Superman these days? Superboy Prime could never keep track.
"Don't be too hard on him." A female voice came from behind even as hands reached out, grabbing Superboy Prime by the sides of his face. "He and Grundy were just the distractions."
Superboy Prime cried out in agony as a sharp pain radiated from the sides of his face where he was being touched to the rest of his body. He felt the life itself drain from him, every moment of contact weakening him as lashed out with a fist to his assailant from behind. He thanked his lucky stars as he felt his blind shot connect, knocking his attacker back.
As the sensation fled, Superboy Prime let out a gasp as he fell down to his knees, gasping for air.
"Whoa." The voice replied as it stood up. "What a rush!"
Superboy Prime looked up at the female figure as it rose up. A name danced on his lips, but he couldn't quite place.
"Oh my god." The pink skinned female licked her own lips as her head swayed as though she were dizzy. "Is this what it feels like to be you? God, I feel like I could rip the Earth in half for a warm up."
"Parasite." The name managed to escape Superboy Prime's lips in stunned horror.
"You know it." She just winked as she continued to stare off, euphoric, her head rocking back and forth softly. "Think of me as a 'thank you' from the current leadership of the Secret Society. We just wanted those two lunk heads to get your attention so I could get my hands on you. And man, I gotta tell, you are a trip kid."
The female Parasite seemed too distracted to mind as Superboy Prime felt himself try to stand up. It was hard. Even with the crystals in his skin pouring solar energy into him, it just wasn't enough. There was plenty of gas in the tank, but his engine had still lost a lot of speed.
"Man, coming down from this is going to be a drag." The Parasite seemed to sigh. "I am really going to hate having to drain you completely dry." At this, her eyes snapped open with wicked intent as she looked at her prey with a bemused smirk. "Speaking of which."
Superboy Prime took his only chance to soar into the air, flying with all the speed he could muster.
The Parasite just stood for a second as her new vision allowed her to track the kid. She just stood perfectly still, following him as he flew with all that he had.
She waited until she saw him clear the solar system. "Ok, that's enough of a head start." And with that, she flew up after him.
--
Laurie hurried down the streets, trying to move in the opposite of whatever direction the people had been running. She tried to follow the sound of crashing and explosions, but they had now stopped, leaving her with nothing more to go on. She was lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces, looking for some kind of sign.
"Hey."
Laurie spun around and felt her breath flee her body at the sight. Standing right before her, six punks adorned in their own street colors walked right up to Laurie. She felt fear paralyze her, take away her ability to think or move. A white terror filled Laurie as she turned to run.
But the one in the lead was faster as he grabbed her and pulled her into an alley. Slamming Laurie against the side of a building, he placed his hand roughly over her mouth.
"Yeah. I thought I recognized you." The leader sneered at her terror. "You're Zack's squeeze."
"Oh yeah." One of the other five, a smaller, frailer looking one came up behind the towering leader, snickering. "I didn't recognize her when she's not on her hands and knees."
This elicited a group laugh that caused Laurie to almost vomit into the hands of the man silencing her.
"Your boy Zack owes me a lot of money." The leader began again. "And you be sure to tell him, I ain't taking his leftovers no more." He threatened as he looked her up and down. "I want money this time. Cash."
"Oh come on Ty." The other with the mouth was practically drooling as he continued to look up Laurie. "This one's a sweet ride, even if she is broken in."
Before anything else could be said, a flash of light shot down to the entrance of the alley, scattering the gang members and forcing them further into the alley. Laurie looked up at her salvation, but it wasn't Clark this time. Instead, a man with dark hair and a goatee sporting a white and black costume with a white cape descended down upon her.
"Step aside gentlemen." The villainous Dr. Light sneered as he forced his own body against Laurie, pressing her right back up against the wall. "This one's all mine."
--
Stars zoomed by and planets passed like mere dots as Superboy Prime raced. He felt his heart pounding within him, but he still pressed on with all he had while close behind him, the female Parasite casually followed closing.
"Look kid, I don't mind the chase." The Parasite called out, exhilarated by the thrill of traveling effortlessly through space. "Really, I love a little foreplay. But do you have any idea how hopeless this is?"
Superboy Prime didn't respond. He just dove deeper and deeper into the depths of space.
"Oh, I get it." The Parasite just smirked. "You're trying to keep me going until I run out of your juice and then I just suffocate and die out here in the depths of space. Well fat chance kid; I'm good for at least another hour of this."
Prime didn't respond.
"Of course, I suppose there's no reason to drag this out any longer."
Prime let out a sigh of relief as he caught sight of his salvation off in the distance. Pouring on the speed, he felt like he was sprinting as he poured on the last of the speed he needed even as the female Parasite appeared in front of him.
"Time's up junior." Parasite winked.
Superboy Prime just let out an exhausted sigh. Then, fatigue was replaced with triumph as he let out a soft smirk. "You're right. You lose."
"Uh, I don't think so kid." But even as she was ready to celebrate her victory, she felt a strange sensation through her body. She was tingling as she felt something draining her. She felt the power that she had absorbed from him suddenly begin to leave her body.
She looked up at him, confused, only to see him smirking as if at something behind her. Turning around, she saw that they had both come within a bright red sun burning off in the far distance.
"That's a red sun, and since you're new, I'll tell you right now, that's bad for both of us." The Parasite looked back at him as he continued to explain. "It drives out the juice from me, and I'm guessing now, you too." He just seemed to fly back, relaxed now, as he crossed his arms. "The difference is I have crystals in my skin that are feeding me solar energy to keep me going anyway. I'm good for just a few more minutes of this, which is longer than you have."
"You son of a…" But even as the Parasite tried to reach out for him, he just darted away from her with super speed. She tried to follow, but she felt her own speed changing. She felt cold as the air suddenly seemed to fade away from her.
"Here's a lesson I had to learn the hard way." Superboy Prime turned about, preparing to fly off. "Learn to walk before you fly."
And with that, he left her behind as she felt the blood in her skin begin to boil
--
"Well, isn't this my lucky day." The mad villain grinned as he examined his 'prize'. "Not only do I get a promotion to the esteemed position of leader of the Secret Society, I'm also about to get a little 'bonus' on the side. Talk about two birds with one stone."
Laurie could only give a muffled scream. She looked off to the side to see the gang members from earlier caught between the dead end at the other side of the alley and her and this new assailant.
"It's actually rather interesting." Dr. Light mused as he held his hand over Laurie's mouth, all the while savoring the look of fear in her eyes. "I never really saw myself as the leader type. But when the fake Luthor was putting together his Society, well, they saw me as some sort of martyr. I was their poster boy. And now that the bosses are all out of action, I fully intend to submit my name to the list for consideration. I think I'll make a very effective leader, especially when I deliver your boyfriend's head on a platter."
Laurie's muffled cries doubled in volume and panic, still coming out as barely audible shrieks that seemed to only excite Dr. Light.
"I know this comes as small comfort," Dr. Light leaned in, savoring the smell of Laurie's hair, practically salivating at it. "But you are about to join distinguished company."
Dr. Light's hand snaked down to the belt on Laurie's pants. But before they could undo the belt before them, the mad villain's eyes went wide as he suddenly began to tremble, his hold over Laurie dropping as he looked into eyes with terror to reflect her own.
"I'm tired of saying this, so listen good." The voice of Laurie's salvation suddenly came within her line of sight as she let out a relieved gasp, her mouth now free. "No one threatens her!"
Dr. Light tried to cry out as he began to shake and tremble within the grip.
"I never was any good with biology." Superboy Prime hissed angrily as his arm rose, lifting Dr. Light away from Laurie. "I can't tell if that's your liver or one of your kidneys I'm grabbing. Either way, I hope it hurts like hell."
Dr. Light could only let out a soft groan of agony as his right hand began to glow with a bright white light.
"No." Superboy Prime's heat vision seared the hand off completely. Laurie didn't even cry out as the hand fell ineptly to the ground below. Dr. Light ached to cry, but his lungs were incapable of expressing the true agony he felt even as he raised his other hand, attempting to summon his light powers once again.
"I said no!" Superboy Prime reached over with his spare arm, grabbing Dr. Light's spare wrist and ripping it, and his accompanying arm, clean off. "I saw what you did, Dr. Light." Superboy Prime pulled his left hand out from Dr. Light's backside, dropping him to the hard ground. "You're the worst of all of them. There could never be such a thing as a 'good Earth' with trash like you on it."
Superboy Prime took a step back as he looked up at Laurie. "Laurie, run."
"What?" She just stared at him, overwhelmed with horror.
"I said run! I don't want you to see this."
Laurie looked into Superboy Prime's eyes and in a second, felt herself try to hold onto her compassion by summoning some shred of sympathy for Dr. Light. But one look back down at her would-be assailant, and she felt nothing. She simply turned about and ran.
"You're always complaining because the League lobotomized you." Superboy Prime leaned down, facing eye to eye with Dr. Light. "Looks to me like they didn't do such a good job. Don't worry. I'll fix that. But first, I'll make sure you never touch another woman again!"
Superboy Prime's eyes glowed with heat vision as he focused his aim down at Dr. Light's crotch. Deep red beams fired out as a piercing cry echoed throughout the alley.
--
Laurie ran. She didn't know where. She didn't care. She just ran, never bothering to wipe away the tears.
--
Dr. Light let out a soft groan as two marks over his forehead sizzled and smoked. He fell back, his jaw dropping open limply, lifelessly as Superboy Prime tossed him away dismissively.
It was at this that Superboy Prime leveled a hateful glare at the six gang members who had remained perfectly still throughout all of this; trapped, frozen.
"And what were you punks going to do?" Venom seemed to drip from Prime's voice as his eyes continued to glow red with rage. "Help yourself to 'sloppy seconds!" He cried out in anger as he took a long step towards them.
"Hey man." "…it was 'tween her and Ty." "Just kidding." The barge of flimsy excuses and protests of innocence was cut off by a piercing cry.
"DIE!" A bright red glow filled the alley way, punctuated by screams of terrors that were promptly silenced.
--
Laurie kept on running. The world around her blurred and become an incomprehensible prison, closing in all around her, looking at every one of its turns to punish her for who knew what horrible crime she had committed anymore.. She just tried with all her will to become free of it when she felt herself lifted up, swooped clean off her feet.
"No!" She cried out frantically.
"Laurie!" Her own personal guardian angel cried out to her, telling her she was safe. "Laurie, it's me. It's Clark. It's me."
Looking over at her, she seemed to quiet somewhat at this. But her tears continued to run down her perfect face as she buried herself in his shoulders. He said nothing after this; he just continued to fly with her in his arms.
He didn't know where to take her. He wasn't taking her back to that hovel. They were never going back there for as long as either of them was alive.
…
It was some time later as Superboy Prime looked down on the form of Laurie as she continued to sleep, peacefully thank heavens, from atop the Hobbes Bay suspension bridge. From up here, the city seemed so peaceful, so beautiful. Illuminated by the full moon, it was a picture of tranquility. But Prime never cast it a second glance. His attention was fixed instead entirely on Laurie as she slumbered away, blanketed only by his cape which he had taken off to keep her warm.
He was grateful for every second she continued to sleep as his mind was at war with itself. It wasn't supposed to be like this. When he and Alex had first resolved to remake the world perfect it had felt…right. True. To fight against an entire universe that had tried to undo and erase them; what could be more just than that? The universe had already done its worst to them; what more could it do? It wasn't like either he or Alex had anything else to lose.
And then, he had killed. The universe had made him as awful and horrible as everything he was fighting against. And then, it wasn't a fight anymore. It was a war. He had made war against all of creation. And everyone would know the wrath of his war.
But not her. She wasn't supposed to be caught up in this. She didn't deserve this. She was perfect, just like he…had been.
There had to be something he could do for her. Some way to keep her safe. Nothing else mattered as much to him. Nothing.
Could the League protect her? Normally, such a thought would never occur to him. But he knew that the Society had gone after her because he had gone after them. And the Lanterns; they'd come after her too. He could go after the Society and eradicate them. Hunt down the Green Lanterns across the universe. But who would look after her while he was bouncing back and forth through the cosmos?
He was startled out of his brooding as she slowly stirred. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up, her blurring gaze slowly coming into focus.
"Hey." He looked down on her with a warm smile as he assured softly "It's ok. You're safe now."
For a second, her eyes looked away from him. But then her hand reached out, taking his as she looked back at him warmly. "I know."
He just smiled as he looked at her, at the way her hair rested across the hard surface beneath. God, she was so beautiful. "Are you hungry?" He tried to fill in the moment with small talk as he reached behind him to where a pizza box lay untouched, bringing it before her. "I grabbed us something."
She just looked at it for a long second before deciding aloud "Yeah, I'm starved actually."
Opening the box, Clark handed her a slice as he took one for himself. The two ate in complete silence, mostly just enjoying their food and taking in their perfectly illuminated surroundings. When the box was empty, Clark set it aside and looked at Laurie even as she looked off in the distance at the sparkling city before her.
"Clark," she finally spoke "I want to go home."
Superboy Prime just nodded. "I'll take you back home to your mom right away."
"And my dad."
At this, he froze. The entire world stopped. "What?"
Laurie turned back, looking at him for a long second with deep eyes before looking back down at her engagement ring. "I want my dad to give me away at our wedding Clark. I want to see the look on your parents face when we tell them that you're really Superboy."
This caused Laurie to chuckle as Clark continued to stare at her, astonished.
"Can you really do it?" She looked back up at him. If anything other than the truth parted from his lips, she would know it instantly.
"Yes." He looked back at her with a renewed sense of determination. "I can."
At this, she seemed to nod in acknowledgement before leaning forward, wrapping her arms around him. "Let's go home Clark."
--
"So, here I am." Superboy Prime rubbed the back of his head, searching for the proper words to say as he looked down at the tombstone before him. "I meant to come here a long time ago, but I guess with everything that's happened… well, let's just say I've been busy."
Superboy Prime received no response, yet somehow took this as a sign of acknowledgement.
"You know, back when I was on Oa, all I could think of was finding this place. Finding you again and what I'd do when I was finally standing face to face with you one more time."
The wind blew across his face as Superboy Prime stared intently at the grave, marked primarily by the iconic insignia that had been caved into it.
"At first, I thought about burning up your remains and then defecating on them. Then I thought about writing something stupid on your tombstone, as if that would somehow change your memory forever. But I'm not that immature anymore. I know what I have to do."
There was still silence. Naught but the breeze to hear his words.
"In twenty four hours, you'll never have died. You'll never have lived either. Neither you, nor any of the people that you ever cared for will have ever existed. You let your world die right in front of you; I'm going to bring mine back. And it will be perfect."
Superboy Prime couldn't help but smirk as a thought crossed his mind.
"And if I'm really lucky, one day, you'll come back, just like I did." He said, as he rose up into the air, to fly away, leaving the tombstone where it lay. "And then, you'll know what it's like to be a Superboy without a world."
