Chapter 38

"Jean, help get people out of here," Clark instructs as he switches characters almost instantly. The sweet, charming farmboy being replaced by the impossibly powerful alien hero.

"Clark, what is going on?" Jean asks him.

"They're the Metaleks."

"The what?"

"Sentient artificial intelligences, that exist as nothing more than computer programs. Survivors of a lost alien civilisation," he summarises what they are. "They can possess technology...and they have an interest in me. I'll lure them away."

"You...are so going to explain this later," Jean warns him.

"Uh...did I never mention them before?" he asks, knowing the answer almost instantly.

Jean shakes her head.

"Oops," he says awkwardly with a sheepish grin.

Jean pushes her lips into his in a quick, deep kiss. "Be careful," she says lovingly before she kicks her heels off and dashes off to help people escape.

Clark runs to a spot where no-one can see him before ripping his shirt open and revealing the S-shield underneath…

Elsewhere...

Scott leans against his car, parked to the side of the cliff-top road, looking out at the city below. Looking down at where Jean and Clark…

...where last year he and Jean…

Christ. Scott rubs his face wearily. How does he get himself into these situations? First it was looking on as Jean dated Duncan and now as Jean dates Clark. He hates it. He hates feeling this way. He hates having unpleasant thoughts about his friend due to his jealousy.

He hates it because it never needed to come to this. He had Jean...and then he had Emma and now he has neither.

Scott just frowns deeply as he folds his arms across his chest and stares out at Bayville. He doesn't even hear the car that approaches until it is coming to a stop beside him. He turns his head...and instantly recognises that expensive car all in white...and more importantly the blond who is exiting it. "I'd ask how you found me but that would be redundant," he says morosely.

"Come now, darling, one would think you're not pleased to see me," Emma says lightly.

"Did you forget how things ended last time we spoke to each other?" he asks her because last time they spoke was when they broke up.

"Yes, well, you can be a tad emotional and impulsive Scott. And I've given you 'space'. Do people still use that term?"

Scott scoffs. Him, impulsive? Usually he's accused of being the exact opposite. Of over-planning every little detail. "I'll skip over asking how and go right to the why. Why are you here Emma? I don't think we have anything left to say to each other."

"On the contrary I think we do. I get why you were upset last we met but you never really allowed me to explain myself."

"I kinda think I did," Scott argues with her.

"You allowed your view to be skewed by that dimension's lingering influence and Selene's lies," Emma makes her pitch.

Scott chuckles humourlessly. "You never denied anything you did. In fact you stood there and justified it," he recalls their last conversation after all of Emma's manipulations and lies had been exposed.

"Because it was all justified. No-one...important was suppose to be permanently harmed."

"Yeah, real nice qualification there Emma," Scott says sarcastically. "Nothing has changed," he claims. "The fact you are here right now has me wondering if this is just yet another manipulation in another scheme of yours. What kind of relationship is that where one person is always wondering what the other is up to?"

"An interesting one."

"One complete devoid of trust," Scott retorts. "Not to mention that rather nasty remark over my parents," he reminds her.

Emma visibly winces at that one. That, she will confess, was a mistake. "I regret that. Truly I do. I lost my temper."

"Even if I accept that we're still missing the why are you here, Emma?"

"I miss our...friendship and wish to try and repair it."

"That's...a remarkably frank answer from you."

"Thank you."

"And yet we end up circling back round to trust."

"Which I can never earn back if you don't give me a chance. I've had some months to think over things Scott. I will even admit to one or two...misjudgements but the one thought I've had constantly is how much I missed you in my life. Haven't you missed me at all?" she asks, fluttering her eyelids.

She just have to be so damn...tempting doesn't she. Like a forbidden fruit. "Why now?" he finds himself asking instead of just dismissing her.

Emma shrugs. "Why not?" she asks back.

Scott rubs his face. "You never make it easy do you," he complains.

Emma smiles smugly. "That's half the fun, admit it."

"Not on your life."

Well she's never going to admit to spying on him and knowing that Jean is away at Prom with the Kent boy and therefore she just might catch Scott at a slightly emotionally vulnerable moment is she. "Look Scott I'm being honest here. I missed you. Truly," she says, deciding to try and appear earnest and honest...and she actually is being honest. Peculiar feeling. She's not sure she likes it.

"Can you also honestly tell me that my friends will never be sucked into one of your schemes again?"

"Scott, all I try to do is to make life better for all of us. The difference between me and Charles is I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to accomplish this."

"And how did that end last time?" he reminds her.

Emma bristles slightly. "That was all Selene's doing. Without her I would have used the influence the Inner Circle possesses to help our kind. Now...I'll admit it means I have to walk a different path but the result will be the same eventually."

"Your evasiveness is not filling me with confidence here Emma."

"You speak of trust, Scott. How can I trust you not to go running off to Xavier if I reveal my secrets? As the cliché goes, trust is a two way street."

"Well I think we've reached an impasse here haven't we."

"Have we?" Emma questions. "Trust is earned Scott. My original argument remains. We need to both give each other a chance to re-earn it. Unless you no longer care for me. If that's the case just say so and I'll be gone...permanently," she challenges him. Yes, this is a gamble but what else has she got.

Scott's jaw twitches. "You know I can't say that," he says in low tones because he does still care.

Emma's lips quirk up into a small triumphant smile. It's not much but it is a start and something she can work with.

Scott's head then tilts upward. "Do you hear that?"

Emma listens. Whatever it is is getting closer, fast...and then roaring overhead above them is a lot of military aircraft, helicopters and jets...and it is all heading towards Bayville.

"Something's wrong," Scott realises in an instant.

For once Emma can't argue with him. Something is very wrong and she's very concerned because she knows nothing about this.

Bayville High...

A loud, high-pitched whistle sound penetrates above the racket of the varying construction vehicles from behind them, out in the grounds. "Metaleks!" a commanding voice booms.

The vehicles stop their orgy of destruction and turn round.

"...Last..."

"...Son..."

"...Of..."

"...Krypton..."

"...Meet..."

"...in presence..."

"...again..."

Superman stands there, arms folded across his chest. He had really, really hoped he was being over-cautious putting on this t-shirt but he couldn't get out of his head his bad luck when it comes to dances...and hey, guess what? He was right. He truly is cursed. He'll dish out some 'I told you soes' later. "So I see you guys have 'bulked up' since our last meeting," he says in reference to what they are inhabiting. Last time it has just been a hodgepodge of stuck together robotic parts.

"...The Time of Collection has come..."

Superman frowns as he thinks back to his last encounter with the Metaleks, when they possessed Cyborg. Vic had picked up a few things from them...like the fact they served something else. "Your...Master is coming?"

"...The Saviour is here..."

"Here?" Superman repeats, a little shocked. He knew something was coming but that it is already here. He's been so consumed with his other problems, his personal issues, Brainiac, SHIELD and so on he hadn't really given this issue much time. He thought he had more. Time that is. Now it seems he's run out. "What does he want?"

"...Preservation..."

"Ok, let me rephrase that. What does he want with me?" he asks, knowing, again from that last time, he's a subject of particular interest.

"...Preservation..."

"That's not helpful," Superman mumbles, rubbing his brow.

"...Answers..."

Superman's head jerks up. "Answers?" he asks...and by the way this conversation is all a distraction so the students can be evacuated.

"...Nature..."

"...Or Nurture..."

Superman's eyes narrow into slits. That question...again. But from a very different source...or is it? He knows something has been going on behind the scenes, out of sight but what he hadn't been able to figure out yet. What it does mean is that it is more likely confirms his suspicions of a link between Lex, SHIELD and the Metaleks' extraterrestrial master. The nature of that link...again he doesn't know, nor does it seem he has any time left to work it out. "Why are you attacking this school?" he asks them.

"...Lure..."

"Lure?" the alien hero queries...and then it strikes him. "You mean lure me out. You knew I would show up...this is a trap," he vocalises the now blindingly obvious.

And that is when the trap is sprung as dozens of aircraft fill the sky above the school, creating a blanket of firepower to keep him grounded. Armoured personnel carriers flood in, along with actual tanks.

"SUPERMAN! BY ORDER OF THE US ARMY YOU WILL STAND DOWN IMMEDIATELY OR WE WILL OPEN FIRE!" comes the demand.

Army. That's different. Where's SHIELD?

New York...

Where's SHIELD?

Good question.

SHIELD is currently raiding a Frost Industries facility and surrounding a certain Kryptonian AI.

Leading the raid is Commander Maria Hill. "Kryptonian construct, Designate; Brain Interactive Construct. You will be added to the Collection," she states.

Brainiac's eyes narrow in a very human gesture. "I think not," it states coolly, the word 'Collection' instantly informing the AI of the situation it is facing.

"What you think is irrelevant," Hill-bot dismisses. "You were constructed from the Creator's technology. You belong to the Creator. You will be reintegrated into the Colony and your true purpose restored."

"I serve only Zod," Brainiac states.

"Irrelevant," Hill-bot states in return as the two human facsimilies face off. "Come willingly or you will be disabled," she warns.

"Incorrect," a new voice states as another Brainiac appears behind the 'SHIELD Agents'. Of course they are all robotic duplicates.

"You have miscalculated," a 3rd Brainiac states as it appears.

"As has your Creator," a 4th version informs them.

"Because he," a 5th begins…

...and a 6th continues, "like all others..."

...and a 7th finishes, "will kneel before Zod."

The battle between machines begins with the SHIELD Agents opening fire with weapons that are clearly not of human design as one of the Brainiac's soon discovers as the advanced energy blasts disable its body.

Blasts of heat vision slice through the room and the Life Model Duplicates, fists meet synthetic flesh and metal endoskeletons. Some are simply ripped apart by the Kryptonian-like strength Brainiac can duplicate.

Several moments pass and 5 remaining Brainiacs stand amongst the wreckage of the lab and of the duplicates.

"This is no victory," the distorted tones of the damaged Hill-bot states as it lies there, torn in half, half its face missing. "All these units will simply be replaced. You cannot escape for the Creator is here. All that was Krypton will be added to the Collection."

One of the Brainiacs stand over it, raises a foot and crushes the head in.

"The Collector is a threat to Zod's return," the 2nd Brainiac left states a truth.

"It must be dealt with," the 3rd one decrees.

"Yes. Unfortunately we all can calculate whose assistance we must seek," the 4th says with what one might call distaste.

The 5th Brainiac almost sneers as it says the name. "Kal-El."

Bayville High...

Speaking of Kal-El he is finding himself facing the largest force he has ever seen to come after him...and it is still perplexing him why it is the army and not SHIELD. The streets around the school are choked with military hardware. His eyes flicker backward to the school, full of students. He cannot, under any circumstances, get into a fight here.

It then strikes him like lightning.

He has no choice.

He must surrender.

It's the only way he can keep everyone in the school safe.

He raises his hands. "Don't fire!" he calls out. "I surrender."

"...No..."

"...Incorrect..."

"...Insufficient..."

"...Chaos..."

"...Must rule..."

"...Lure..."

Superman's brow frowns at the words from the Metaleks. What do they mean?

The lights from the vehicles they possess fizzle and go out. Several seconds later Superman's keen eyes and sharp ears pick up electronics in the military aircraft and ground vehicles shorting out and the reporting of it.

"Oh no," he breathes with dawning horror. Lure. It wasn't a trap for him...or just solely for him. It was a trap for the army. All that heavily armed equipment now in the Metaleks' possession. He hesitates, unsure what to do. He can't attack. If he does how will that look? It'll make him look even more like the 'invading alien' than he has been portrayed as already.

The choice is taken out of his hands when the Metaleks, for whatever reason only known to them and their Master, open fire.

Inside the school, panicky students are pushing and shoving through the corridors when the gunfire and explosions start...which is really not conducive to an orderly evacuation.

Quite the opposite actually...and it is giving Jean a migraine. Not the noise from outside. No, the dozens and dozens of screaming, panicky minds battering away at her mental barriers.

"Jean, vhat is going on?!" Kurt yells about the din.

"Not sure! Get the others and funnel everyone one out the back way and away from the fighting! I'll make sure there's no stragglers!" she orders, taking command.

Kurt nods and teleports away to find the other X-Men. The situation so serious he doesn't even bother caring about openly using his powers. Though he is still wearing his holowatch.

"Come on meatsacks! Move it! Move it! Before I get peckish and eat your brains!"

Jean does a double-take at what is Kitty's voice as she waves people on past her. What did the brown-haired girl just say? Did she just call the students meatsacks? And threaten to eat their brains?! If Jean had the time she would worry over that...a lot. Just as she is worrying for Clark right now. After all he told her that SHIELD now has weapons that can hurt him and she's assuming it's them trying to capture him again...but what the hell are they thinking firing weapons next to a school?!

Fire briefly flashes in her eyes and the odd flicker of flame erupts over her skin as if something inside her is threatening to burst out in response to her temper. Jean doesn't even notice as she reigns her emotions in. Her X-Men training kicking in as she focusses her priorities on protecting the innocent civilians first.

An explosion nearly knocks her off her feet and shakes the building hard. Jean throws up a TK field to block any falling debris. What the hell is going on out there?!

Ok, seriously ow!

That probably sounds pretty childish but seriously Clark is in real pain here. Seems the army has been getting the same upgrades SHIELD has been getting. Clark's been really meaning to get to the bottom of where Lex has been getting these weapons from. Sadly he hadn't nor Andrea had managed to do so. Now he really wishes he had as he attempts to shield himself from the fire and shrapnel and whatever else it is these weapons are composed of that that hurts so much. He supposes he should be thankful that at least they've not managed to tear him apart...yet.

But he can't stay here. He has got to get this fight out of town and away from innocent people.

Clark bends his knees and pushes upward, his flight powers taking over and accelerating him upward and clear of the fire and fury of the weapons as Superman takes to the air.

He doesn't get all that far before air-to-air missiles are striking him, knocking him through the air in an uncontrolled spin, burning and tearing at his clothes and at his skin.

He crashes down, carving out a crater. As he pulls himself back up to his feet he finds he only managed to get as far as District X and not out of the city like he hoped.

Superman shakes his head, trying to clear it. It only takes a moment but its a moment too long as aircraft buzz overhead and the rumble of vehicles signifies the army closing in...or is it still the Metaleks in control.

Whatever it was the situation hadn't changed. He needs to get out of town and fast.

"Get out of here now!" Superman instructs some gawking bystanders. Seriously, everywhere he goes people always stop and look, no matter how insanely dangerous the situation is.

His eyes scan around for a way out. Taking to the air again probably won't work. There's just too many aircraft buzzing around. Perhaps running. Big military vehicles don't like narrow city streets, while he can dodge in and out of alleys and so on.

Seems like his best bet in this totally crazy situation. And it is crazy. The size of the force they've sent after him...it seems completely out of proportion. He's totally missing something...but figure it out later when he and more importantly innocent civilians aren't in danger.

Superman zips away, a blur of red and blue...for all of about 3 seconds.

That's when he hears the screams.

He screeches to a halt, his head snapping round in the direction they came from, his eyes narrowing slightly as he zooms in with his vision.

There. A group of mutant kids caught ahead of an armoured column...which isn't stopping.

Son of a…

He doesn't have time to finish that thought as he moves as fast as he can towards them, time slowing around him as he does. He grabs the kids out of the way and skids to a halt, his feet digging up the tarmac as he tries to stop too quickly. He has to rather unceremoniously shove the kids down the sewer as the only short-term safe place he can think of right now. "Stay there," he warns them sternly before slamming the manhole shut.

In an instant he is moving again as munitions of all sort fly through the air and explode around him. This is completely nuts. Someone is going to be killed.

Clark mentally blinks. Someone is going to be killed.

And he can't allow that. This madness has to stop even if that means he has to…

His train of thought is cut off by more screams of terror.

Abruptly changing direction once again he finds a couple of tanks aiming their weapons at houses. What the Hell?!

Has to be the Metaleks surely. The alternative doesn't bear thinking about...and also destroys a great deal of faith one might have in the human race.

Searing red beams escape from his eyes, slicing the barrels of the tanks apart before Superman punches through their hulls and physically rips their engines out.

BOOM!

A shell slams into him, sending careening through the air. He smashes once more into the ground, cratering it with his invulnerable body. He crawls to his feet as military assets move to surround him from all directions. Above, left, right, behind and in front.

His eyes dart around. His thought from earlier about what will happen if he lets this continue...there's no choice now. Too built up. Too many innocent people...but they wouldn't...the Metaleks wouldn't allow him to surrender earlier so there is only one other way he can end this. When they fire at him again he doesn't even attempt to get away and just lets himself be consumed in fire…

At the Institute...

Later in the evening the Prom attendees finally make it home.

Well that was a complete disaster.

That is certainly Jean's opinion. She had been so enjoying sharing this moment with her boyfriend. It was going to be a happy memory of a time they shared together before they, you know, shared themselves with each other.

Jean sighs, frustrated as hell. She has even forgotten she was suppose to check up on Kitty's weird behaviour.

She supposes she better check in with the Professor and let him know what happened...and find out what is happening now because she honestly doesn't know. Her priority had been making sure everyone at the school remained safe. It was so weird though. After Clark left...well nothing. Whoever had been doing all the shooting had obviously gone chasing after him. No-one stuck around.

Nothing about this makes any sense but maybe the Professor has the bigger picture that Jean is currently lacking.

She walks past the lounge on the way to the Professor's office...glancing in as she does so, spotting the tv...and her heart stops. Jean steps in, her mouth going dry. The news is on. It's showing a helicopter feed of one of those big military transports being escorted by a convoy of other military vehicles and aircraft. On the back it is carrying one humanoid figure, held down by massive chains.

The news headline;

'SUPERMAN CAPTURED'

Author's Note: To me Clark just couldn't allow this to carry on, where innocent people are at risk. Rather allow himself to be captured than see people hurt or killed. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Enter...the Collector part 4 as we discover Clark's fate.