Superman: The Ark of Krypton
Chapter 59
by
Jason Richard
All across the Philippine city people saw the wave and panicked, running for their lives. There had been no warning...chance to prepare. One moment they were going along, minding their own business, and suddenly a wall of water was speeding towards them.
Superman, watching the scene unfold, wondered what to do. He couldn't just punch or push a wall of water. Thinking quickly, his first thought was to use his hurricane like breath to blow the water back, but he'd have to do it all at once, and the wall of water was too wide. If he used ice breath it could freeze the water, but if it didn't stop in time it would just crush everyone under a wall of ice. He thought he might use his heat vision to vaporize the water, but then instead of a wall of water drowning them, it would be a cloud of steam burning them.
He had only one option. He had to use both. He would vaporize the water with his heat vision, then cool the steam with his ice breath, which would also slow it down if not stop it outright. That was his best plan, and he had no time to lose.
He flew to one side of the tidal wave and got in front of it. He then took a deep breath, making a vortex of wind as it all flew into his lungs. Keeping all that air in he charged his heat vision, then flew, blasting the wall of water with an intense blast from his eyes as wide as he could make it, at the same time unleashing his ice breath on what was left over. As he flew down the length of this massive wave, starting at one end and working his way to the other, his combo of hot and cold successfully changed the water to a cool mist at the point of contact.
The people of the city stopped running as they saw it, the water vaporizing. Soon half of it was just a mist, and then just as quickly Superman had covered the entire length, and now it was a mass of cool vapor rushing towards them.
The next moment it hit, like a cold wind threatening to blow them away. Debris scattered, animals run and hid, and people inside closed their doors. People outside grabbed hold of nearby objects to keep themselves steady. Superman flew into the city, quickly catching people and getting them something to hold onto as the the mist blasted through the city.
And then it was over, the mist finally stopped and settled over everything. People got up, shaken, but not hurt as Superman was happy to observe. The worst thing was that everyone was rather drenched in water now, but at least no one was hurt.
In fact, as Superman flew above to make absolutely certain everyone was safe, the people began to applaud, thanking Superman for saving them. Superman, glad everyone here was alright, bowed in the air, accepting their thanks. He couldn't feel too glad, however. While everyone inside the city was fine, he had one more person to check on.
Once the applause died down Superman discreetly flew away back to the ocean. There he looked for his clone, and found him quickly. Bizarro floated on the ocean, lying on his back, a sad look on his face. That didn't concern Superman as much as his breathing. The Clone was gasping for breath as he lay there on the ocean.
Superman, with great concern, flew down and gathered the clone up in his arms. He didn't know what was wrong, but hopefully he knew someone who would. As quickly as he dared, he flew Bizarro to the North Pole.
…
Not long afterwards Bizarro lay on a table in the Ark of Krypton's medical bay, a room filled with 50 beds and strange medical equipment installed in the ceiling. That equipment scanned the clone, blue light dancing over him. No matter what the machines did the Clone didn't seem to get any better.
And Superman, standing by his bedside, could see it.
"It's not good," said JLAI 13. "This clone had markers installed in his DNA that eject the foreign DNA from his system. He is effectively becoming human, and has been since before his recent flight. The attempt to fly at those speeds put stress on his body, stress that became more and more severe the faster he tried to go. With his alien DNA intact he would have survived, but that that DNA deteriorating…"
"I get the idea," said Superman. "Is there anything we can do?"
"A blood transfusion from a suitable donor...you...may help him revert back to a kryptonian state and repair the damage, but it isn't certain."
Superman took a deep breath and said, "Alright, just help my contact my parents so I can check on them, then let's get started."
…
Martha Kent was fine. A little shaken up, and she had a bruise on her head, but she was going to be fine. Sitting in the hospital bed with her head bandaged she waited patiently for Clark or Jonathan to arrive. Somehow she knew Clark wouldn't be the first to arrive. He would inevitably have something else to deal with.
Sure enough Jonathan walked right in, without Clark.
"Martha," said Jonathan, walking over and grasping her hands in his. "How are you feeling?"
"Much better," said Martha. "Where's Clark? And where is...where is the Clone?"
Jonathan sighed and said, "I just got a call from Clark. We have some...well...bad news."
…
So back at the ship Clark had his arm attached to a strange tube connected to a futuristic device. He sat at the bedside of Bizarro, whose arm was also connected to the device. The Clone had gone to sleep, his eyes shifting erratically beneath his eyelids. Superman took a deep breath.
"Alright, let's do this."
Red sunlight filled the room so the machine could pierce Superman's skin. Moments later, blood was flowing through the tube, out of Superman's arm, and into the clone. Before long, they'd know if it worked.