Superman: The Ark of Krypton

Chapter 68

by

Jason Richard

It had to be done swiftly. If they were to get Edward Lytener right out from under Superman's nose they would have to move fast. With his powers Supermancould see all, and Lytener had already contacted him. Superman would be watching.

It would have to be swift, they said to each other out in the vast reaches of space. It would have to be swift, but not immediately. Superman and Lytener were about to meet, so his attention would be on the target. They would have to wait until the right moment, so as not to arouse suspicion. Patience, they said to each other.

Patience.

…

Edward Lytener paced back and forward in the living room of his apartment. Clark Kent had insisted Superman wasn't angry with him, but Lytener couldn't help but be nervous. What would he say? What would he do?

He didn't have much time to ponder the question, for he heard knocking on the glass doors to his balcony. Naturally it was Superman, who tried to look as kindly as possible.

After Lytener opened the door he said, quite frantically, "I'm sorry, I didn't want to do it. Mr. Luthor made me. I would never…"

"It's okay," said superman, putting his hands up. "It's okay. I understand."

"You do?" said Lytener, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Thank you. I'll help you track down the technology so you can destroy it."

"I do want to talk about it," said Superman. "I don't want to destroy it." this surprised Lytener, but he didn't interrupt as superman said. "There is a chance other threats may soon arise that this tech can help us defend against."

"I see," said Lytener, stroking his chin. He hadn't even thought of that.

"I'd like to talk to you about what we do with this tech," said Superman. "How we might quickly mass produce it should the scenario I'm worried about ever come to pass."

"Uh...sure," said Lytener. "Sure. I mean...wow...you'd willingly give the rest of us that much power? Power over you even?"

Superman sighed and said, "I'm not looking forward to it, but I don't do what I do to strike my own ego. I do what I do to protect people, and if protecting people means giving them power that could take away my own, so be it."

Edward Lytener was amazed.

…

Patience, they said, charging their technology so they'd be ready to move. Our distraction is almost ready. Patience.

…

As Lytener showed Superman how they could track down the red sun tech that Luthor had taken with him Superman heard something far in the distance, high up in the sky. Whatever it was it was high in the sky and heading down. Looking up through the roof Superman saw it. Meteors, each flaming piece the size of a building, had broken the atmosphere and were about to crush Metropolis.

"I have to go," said Superman, flying right out of the apartment and into the sky.

Lytener followed outside, looking up and seeing the meteors. He hoped Superman could stop them, but wondered how astronomers could have missed massive meteors careening towards Earth. He also thought it a strange coincidence that they showed up right at that moment.

…

Now, they said to each other far out in space. Acquire the target now!

…

Lois Lane, from the roof of a building across the street, watched Superman talk with Edward Lytener with a pair of binoculars. What on Earth was going on? Part of her had tried to let it go. If Lytener wanted to talk to Clark about some personal matter it wasn't any of her business, and yet all of her instincts told her that something was up.

And now Lytener was talking with Superman. How did that happen?

She wished she'd brought her long range audio equipment so she could know what they were saying, but she hadn't any reason to think this was a story until now. She wracked her brain trying to figure out what to do, until suddenly Superman looked up and flew out of the apartment. Watching the direction he was flying she saw the meteors, great fireballs careening straight for Metropolis. That was strange.

Then Lois gave Edward Lytener one last look, and that's she she saw it, a small circular metal probe flying into Lytener's home. Lois didn't have the faintest idea what it was, but she knew it couldn't be good.