I am chaos, I am darkness, I am evil personified.

Chapter 26: Sympathy For the Devil:

A nearby clapping of hands briefly marred Clark's victory. "Well done, Traveler!" Mosuban praised, this time he was completely alone, which made Clark immediately suspicious. "I wasn't sure how good you really were, Kent." Mosuban gloated. "You'll find I'm full of surprises." Clark threatened.

"Some advice, Mosuban." He stalked towards the business mogul. "Whatever you know, or you think you know about the Traveler, forget about it. Everyone involved has paid a heavy price for their foolishness." Clark's eyes narrowed. "Nice bravado, Kent! I've got some surprises for you as well."
Mosuban didn't back down as Clark advanced on him.

The middle-eastern business mogul seemed to suddenly lose his foreign accent. Mosuban, or Mobus Khan, was a fake, a phony alias, Clark assumed. Sensing that Lois was in danger, he zipped past Mosuban and out onto the bright, sunny mid deck. He dove into the bay and came back up beneath Lois's lifeboat. She hadn't been able to row very far.

Clark dragged the boat across the bay, towing it alongside a Coast Guard Cutter, without revealing his presence to Lois. She glanced around suspiciously, but saw no one. The Guardsmen hauled Lois on board the red and white NCG1720 cruiser, and she rapidly related her story. It would take them a while to verify it, of course. A young, pretty official with long reddish brown hair watched closely.

Officer Angelique Santana helped Lois dry off. She recognized the reporter from her picture in the Daily Planet. "Miss Lane? Are you okay?" the pleasant young officer asked with concern. "Fine, thanks! My boyfriend is still trapped on the ship with those madmen! We need to do something!"

Immediately, the Coast Guard Cutter turned on its siren and headed out towards the breakwater. Clark swam back to Mosuban's ship, the Daemon Be, and vaulted on deck. He had to find out what the crime boss was truly up to. Khan was standing in plain sight, like he was awaiting Clark's return.

"You'll have to kill me Clark, or should I say, Kal El." Khan challenged, without turning around to face him. "Where did you hear that name?" Clark grilled. "I told you that Tess Mercer offered me the Traveler information before I ordered her death." Mosuban's story had changed a bit. Clark hoped that Mercy was truly still alive, despite her obvious connection to Lex and the Traveler debacle.

"What the hell do you want from me?" Clark snarled as Khan swirled to face him. The crime lord looked substantially different from their conversation a few minutes ago. His hair was dark gray, his eyes pitch black, and his skin tone had taken on a reddish brown hue.

"I am chaos, I am darkness, I am evil personified. I am something that you can't possibly understand." Khan boasted, as he rose to a slightly taller posture than earlier. "Try me!" Clark challenged, as he circled in closer towards him. "Kal El! You should keep your arrogance in check." Mobus Khan challenged. "Did you truly think that you were the only super powered being to encounter Earth?"

Mobus straightened to his full height, about a foot taller than Clark. His skin had turned a dark red, and two silver horns protruded from each side of his elongated head. Clark's eyes widened, but he refused to let fear take hold of him. Keeping and open mind, Clark tried to keep Mobus talking.

"I know that you're really full of yourself!" He taunted the demon-like being. "I've come across other beings with unusual abilities." Clark said calmly. "Where are you from?" Mobus was caught slightly off guard by Clark's patience. "You keep your fear under control, Kal El, admirable." Mobus praised cautiously. "I am from another realm." The bizarre creature admitted.

"Why are you here?" Clark grilled. "I simply exist." Mobus said evasively. "Eons ago my people walked the Earth. There were but two races of humans. Those that follow the light and those that follow the darkness." Clark was fascinated, but Mobus was still dancing around the subject.

"You haven't answered my question." Clark threw down the gauntlet. "By your constant interference, Kal El, you have upset the balance of power. In our realm, the two opposing forces must remain in balance." Mobus explained patiently. "You mean good versus evil." Clark stated.

"Yes. By saving people and stopping killings, you are playing God." Mobus snarled. "I'm not particularly religious." Clark defended. "People should believe what they wish to believe." Mobus laughed gruffly. "A typical naïve response, Kal El." He continued. "We don't want you here." The creature accused. "A balance must be achieved."

"Yeah Mobus, well, I am here, and you'll have to deal with me." Clark responded angrily. "The world that I know isn't so black and white. What about all of the people that are neither good nor evil, and just want to get through their daily lives, happily and without controversy?"

"You are a fool, Kal El!" Mobus snapped. "The people you love so well will one day turn against you, as they did me, and my kind." Clark considered Mobus's point, but ultimately decided that his view was too narrow-minded. "I have faith in my people." Clark countered.

"Your people are dead, Kal El. This is not your home!" Mobus stalked closer to Clark. "You're afraid of me!" Superman said confidently. "That's ridiculous! I fear no one!" Mobus was ready to make his move, and Clark assumed his attack position.

Lex Luthor reluctantly ordered a retreat from his attack on Mosuban's ship. Tess Mercer stood by his side, none the worse for wear. "We have to cut our losses, Mercy." Lex stated in his usual overconfident tone. "We'll have to settle for the fifteen weapons cases, and sell them on the black market. Either Mosuban or Rowland can have the rest of the remaining cases."

"Fine with me, Lex." Mercy sighed tiredly. "That nut ball Mosuban almost killed me yesterday. I know for you that would be an acceptable loss, but it wouldn't have worked out so well for me." The sexy Tess sat on the edge of Lex's desk, fiddling with a large silver dagger. Lex eyed her worriedly.

"Tess, you know that you're more valuable to me than that." Lex sucked up, realizing that he hadn't any true friends or lovers left. "That's why I sacrificed the twenty or so employees to rescue you. I would've sacrificed a hundred or a thousand more." Mercy reddened. "Awww! Thanks, Lex."

He ordered Captain Cimmaron to leave Mosuban's ship alone, and head back to its slip. Lex's yacht, The Stallion, pulled into a dock near the original dingy warehouse that Lois and Clark had been caught in last week. Lex watched as the dockworkers unloaded a few pallets of the weapons cache onto his yacht.

"Next stop, Fiji, my love." Lex kissed Mercy tenderly. "We'll take a well deserved vacation, complete some sales, and return victoriously back to Metropolis soon." He spoke quietly into Tess's ear. "You're coming back to run LuthorCorp?" Mercy was shocked.

"Yes, my dear. Only this time, you'll be the figurehead, and I'll be the man behind the curtain." The NCG1720 cruiser pulled alongside the Daemon Be, after calling their home port for back up. The guns had all gone silent, and the crew lie either dead or dying, as the brave Guardsmen began to organize ship-wide boarding parties. Medical teams would follow.

Officer Santana stood beside Lois, holding her back slightly. "Let us do our job, Miss Lane." She urged, attempting to distract the distraught journalist. "You guys! These creeps have automatic weapons and The Lord knows what else on board. You'll be outgunned! It'll be a slaughter!"

"The Lord works in mysterious ways, Miss Lane." Officer Santana said as Lois gaped at her. "I'm from a religious family." Angelique explained. "I just came to Metropolis recently from Coast City. I was part of the Department of Domestic Security task force. I requested a transfer."

Lois nodded, wondering why anything the pleasant young guard said was relevant. "That's a beautiful ring, may I see it?" Angelique asked politely. "Sure, here." Lois handed her the blue k ring. Angelique placed it above her, gazing upwards at it. The gem caught some direct sunlight. The ring suddenly displayed a prism of bluish hues. Lois felt as if she had just received a major power boost.

"Clark needs my help!" Lois announced, and suddenly vaulted straight up and over the Daemon Be's railing, landing smoothly on the deck. Instead of being surprised or shocked, Angelique watched Lois, smiling confidently. It was then that Officer Santana shimmered out of sight!

Suddenly time seemed to stop. A strangely dressed man, his face covered by a gold mask, wearing a black cape, and silver outfit, and a handsome man of about thirty stood shoulder to shoulder. The world seemed to be literally passing them by, like a river current splitting its course around a huge boulder.

"You see my problem, Mr. Nelson." The handsome man began. "Yes, Michael, I do. Kal El is not of this world. Yet, he accesses unimaginable power." Nelson replied. "Our concern is that Kal El will one day rule this planet, taking it as his own." Michael added. "You, of all beings, Michael, should understand the importance of faith." Nelson grinned thinly.

Suddenly Officer Santana appeared beside them. "Kal El is not really the issue, if I may be so bold." Angelique pointed out. "Lois Lane is. She belongs to this world, but now possesses nearly identical power to Kal El." Michael nodded, as his lengthy golden hair unfurled. "I believe Miss Lane must give up these powers, or it will corrupt her eternal soul." Michael commented. "I agree." Nelson confirmed. "I'll see to it." They all disappeared.

"Ascende!" Mobus yelled, extending his hulking reddish brown arms from his sides. The creature hovered about a foot above the deck floor. "If you will not relent, and stay out of my way, then I must eliminate you." Mobus said cockily. Clark readied his mind for battle. Talk is cheap, he mused.

"Inflammato!" Mobus yelled, and two softball-sized fireballs left his hands and impacted Clark in the chest, knocking him through the railings, as he tore through the cabin's walls, and fell to the deck below. Clark sat up, shaking his head. Mobus, whatever he is, packs quite a punch, he observed.

Clark stood and zipped right back into Mobus's room, waylaying the creature with a vicious right hook. Mobus spat black blood as he sailed through the next cabin, and into the captain's quarters. This ought to be fun, Clark thought, thoroughly enjoying the challenge of decking Mobus.

Mobus flipped quickly onto his hind legs, and came at Clark with a one-two combination set of punches which knocked Clark up through the ceiling briefly, only to land right back down and get in Mobus's face. "Is that all you got?" Clark challenged, wiping a small trickle of blood from his nose.

Before Mobus could answer, Lois sped in, jumping between him and Clark, and landed a vicious roundhouse kick to the creature's face. It's neck snapped back, and spun around, before spinning back into place. "Lois!" Clark shouted. "Get out of here! You're going to get hurt!"

"Inflammato!" Mobus growled, hitting Lois in the stomach with a full blast of fireballs. She flew backwards into Clark, and they both fell onto the ship's next deck. Lois was out cold, but thankfully Clark's body had broken her fall. She'd likely have a concussion, but survive. The burns had not affected her skin, merely singed her clothing.

Clark was dazed, carefully shifting Lois off of him to the side. Mobus seized the opportunity for another attack, diving from the captain's deck down towards Clark, both fists extended in an uncontrolled rage. Clark flipped back up onto his feet, from the deck to face the full brunt of Mobus's assault. He charged Clark, eyes blaring red, and still oozing black blood from his nose, ears, and throat.

A bright light blinded him as a golden white image placed itself between Mobus and Clark. The image formed into a solid being dressed in white, gold, and light blue. "Hold!" a definitely feminine voice shouted. "It is you who doesn't belong here, Mobus." The woman stated calmly.

She held up one thin hand, and Mobus slid to a stop inches away from her upraised palm. "You will return to your realm of despair, Mobus." The woman ordered. "Who are you to order me around?" Mobus complained. "You know very well who I am. It is you who are interfering in this world." The woman explained. "Kal El's destiny is his alone, and he will face it." Mobus snapped.

"For your information, Mobus, Kal El is destined for far greater things than your petty struggles against us, the beings of light. His fate is not tied to this world alone. In fact, protecting Earth is merely his first step into a larger universe." Officer Santana's long golden locks were ringed by her silvery gold translucent wings.

"Kal El, see to Lois, and know that this particular battle is not yours to win or lose." The strange, beautiful woman vocalized a number of unfamiliar words in a singsong voice, and Mobus hid his eyes with his hands and backed away. In moments, Mobus howled angrily and disappeared in a cloud of fiery black smoke.

"Thanks." Clark checked on Lois, and noted that she had removed her ring. "Is Mobus dead?" The pretty woman shook her head, allowing her long, golden locks to cascade down to her shoulders. "No. Even by your standards, Kal El, Mobus and I are virtually immortal."

"Who are you?" Clark sat next to Lois, and braced her head in his lap. "Let's just say that I'm a friend. You, of all people, should understand the value of a secret identity." The woman smiled brightly. "Mobus was my responsibility. He should've never been allowed access to this realm."

"Will he be back?" Clark brushed Lois's hair from her eyes. "I hope not. I assure you, we will investigate this travesty, and make the necessary adjustments." She gazed upward. "Time for me to go. Kal El, Son of Krypton, welcome to Earth." The woman disappeared in a brilliant shower of white and gold sparks. Clark blinked a few times, and picked Lois up, carrying her to the Daemon Be's rail.
Officer Santana was there to greet them, taking Lois from Clark's arms, and placing her on a makeshift cot. "I believe Miss Lane lost this." She handed the blue k ring to Clark. "Thank you officer… He quickly placed it back on her finger. Angelique said a couple of strange words, and Lois's eyes fluttered open. "Clark?"

"Hey, take it easy, Lo' you've had a nasty fall." Clark didn't feel bad about telling her a partial truth. She rubbed her stomach and sides, saying: "I do feel like I've been hit by a Mack Truck." Lois shaded her eyes from the bright sunshine. "Thanks to Officer Santana, you…" Clark began.

He glanced around and Officer Angelique Santana was gone. 'Who?" Lois asked as she wobbly sat up. "Never mind." Clark said thoughtfully, he was just glad that Lois was all right. "