Mon wore his ceremonial armor as he was about to lead a hunting party in Cork, Ireland. He was on horseback at an Imperial barracks. The other human soldiers were present on horseback as well. The training dogs were also gathered about. Kara was present with her son, Kon-El. He was only 9 months old but due to accelerated growth appeared to be 2 years old. "Wave to your father," Kara said to her son.

"No," he said defiantly.

"Wave to your father, you little...," Kara ordered and then stopped herself.

"I expect you all to behave with distinction on this hunt," Mon said to his men. He then fired an energy beam into the air signaling the hunt had begun. The hounds were released, and the hunting party was off. A stag was spotted and then pursued by two dozen men on horseback all armed with rifles. The hunting party sped over the hills and into the forest. At this point, everyone but Mon broke off from the hunt with several men having fallen off their horses. Mon entered the thick forest and expertly navigated his horse toward the stag. He then aimed an index finger at the stag and fired through his heart.

Mon got off his horse and examined the dead stag. "You got him?" one rider asked amazed.

"Obviously," Mon said condescendingly.

"Superb horsemanship, excellent shot, Your Majesty," another rider said.

"It's not much of an accomplishment," Mon rolled his eyes.

"These woods have been deadly to horses," a rider said.

"Good thing I don't care," Mon said unconcernedly.

"You'll be the toast at the gala," a rider said.

"As I should be," Mon agreed.

Mon came back to the barracks triumphant. Kara merely rolled her eyes at him. "Daddy did it. He killed a defenseless animal that had no idea what the fuck was going on," Kara said to her son.

"Daddy did it!" Kon said enthusiastically.

"That's right, Daddy did it," Mon said taking Kon from Kara and tossing him in the air. "Soon, we will go hunting together."

"Animals, right? You'll be hunting animals, right?" Kara questioned.

"Anything not Insane is an animal," Mon said as he walked back to the barracks with Kon.


That evening, Mon eyed Kara as she got herself ready for the gala. "We're going to be late," he said annoyed.

"It's this damn skirt," Kara said flustered. "You must be so pleased with yourself..."

"I am," Mon confirmed.

"I wasn't finished," Kara scolded. "You must be so pleased with yourself to force women into these dresses and costumes."

"At least you're not wearing pants this time," Mon said as he eyed Kara's black long skirt.

"Well?" Kara asked as she was finished with herself.

"Your insistence to only wear black to signify your persistent state of mourning is...lovely," Mon antagonized.

"You have a problem with that, asshole?" Kara glared.

"We're all depressed but only one of us feels the need to show it every day," Mon scolded.

"What are you so depressed about now?" Kara asked insensitively.

"At the gala, I will be the only man not wearing medals," Mon mocked.

"Speaking of which, I gave you the opportunity to advise me on a uniform code of awarding medals. I figured being a military man you would have some insight into this matter and, of course, you just pissed it away," Kara said annoyed.

"Human medals do not impress me," Mon said dismissively.

"Everyone, regardless of race or species, will have the same medals," Kara corrected.


At the gala, Kara and Mon were fashionably late. "Looks like they toasted your kill without you," Kara smirked.

"I blame you," Mon said darkly.

"Dance with me," Kara ordered.

Mon expertly danced with Kara for a few seconds before being interrupted. "May I, Your Highness?" a random colonel requested.

"Have at her," Mon said and walked off.


London

The next day, Mon came into Brainiac 5's office in London. As he came in, Brainiac 5 ignored him as he continued to work on his computer. "Ahem!" Mon said obnoxiously.

"What do you know about Bolivia?" Brainiac 5 asked.

"Shit," Mon replied honestly.

"Do you know what continent it is?" Brainiac 5 asked condescendingly.

"America...South America," Mon recalled.

"That's right," Brainiac 5 smiled as if Mon were a child. "Bolivia was once a prosperous nation but then its neighbor, Chile, took away its access to the ocean in a war over a thousand years ago. Ever since, Bolivia has struggled economically."

"So?" Mon wondered.

"There are rubber plantations there. Now, if it is my intention to separate South America into Brazil and everything else. In the past, these two halves held differences in ethnicity, language, religious practices, and culture. Now, your participation in the Paraguayan War has made you unpopular there," Brainiac 5 said.

"I didn't start the war, and I wasn't going to finish it for them. Who knew that pissing off all the great powers surrounding you was a bad idea?" Mon excused himself.

"Rubber is such a valuable resource that it could start another war there. We must first establish permanent borders, and then begin negotiations to bring the continent into the empire," Brainiac 5 said.

"I'm not sure what this has to do with me," Mon said arrogantly.

"I'm asking that you do survey work in the region," Brainiac 5 said finally.

"If I may be so candid, I don't do survey work. I saw, I conquered, I came," Mon told him off. "I'm all about action."

"This is more than survey work. This is exploration in the jungle. The environment is brutally difficult, terrible disease, murderous inhabitants," Brainiac 5 enticed.

"Please, I'm immune to all Earth diseases and no human can harm me," Mon discounted.

"You could earn soldiery decoration," Brainiac 5 said.

"Like I give a damn," Mon rolled his eyes. "You just want me gone for several months."

"You could even reclaim your family name," Brainiac 5 continued.

"My family name?" Mon questioned.

"Success in this venture could change your lot with Kara...considerably," Brainiac 5 said knowingly.

"Well, okay then," Mon smirked.


Mon, Kara, and Kon were in a field on a family picnic in England. "Go play," Kara ordered.

"Where?" Kon wondered looking around.

"Boy, go fetch," Mon said, and then threw a ball a few miles away. Kon immediately went after it.

Kara frowned but then turned to their conversation. "I want you to go. You can make yourself useful there."

"Oh, really?" Mon scoffed.

"I have something to tell you," Kara said softly. "I think...we have another child," she said referring to Mara.

"No shit?" Mon questioned.

"I can get along without you. I'm an independent woman," Kara said proudly.

"I hadn't noticed," Mon mocked. "I hope you realize how much of a sacrifice this is for me. I hope it's worth it."

"Don't doubt it," Kara smiled.

Kon then came back with the ball smiling. "Go fetch," Mon said throwing the ball even farther.


Atlantic Ocean

Mon took a luxury cruise ship to the coast of South America. The ship went through the Panama Canal and made its way to Lima, Peru. Even though he was enjoying himself immensely by being away from his bothersome wife and drinking heavily, he soon suspected someone was following him. He waited in the halls and then suddenly ambushed his would-be-assassin with a headlock. After a brief struggle, Mon threw the man to the floor.

"Before I kill your ass, what's your name? Who sent you?" Mon demanded.

"Henry Wayne," he answered. "I replied to your ad eleven times."

"I don't recall placing an ad. That's not something I would do," Mon said suspiciously.

"I'm your aid," he explained. "What are my duties, Sir?"

"We've been at sea for days. Why haven't you presented yourself to me up to now?" Mon demanded.

"I wanted to see if you were up to the task," he excused.

Mon laughed at that. "Are you drunk?" he wondered.

"Yeah," he said and then stumbled back to his feet. "I have a letter of recommendation...," he said lamely.

"I don't give a damn," Mon said unimpressed.

"I'm skilled in both rifles and pistols and I got bravery," he said.

"You have a family?" Mon asked.

"No," he shook his head.

"Good, I won't feel bad when you inevitably die," Mon said pleased.

"I take it you do?" Henry figured.

"I'm Prince Mon-El. The fuck you think?" Mon asked scornfully. "Let me be very clear. I don't really give a damn about the success of this mission, but I am fully capable of sacrificing everyone and anyone in its pursuit. Therefore, I must insist...we go to the bar and get drunk as fuck the night before we leave this ship."

"Right, Sir," Henry nodded.

"You'll need all the fortitude you got to keep up with my drinking," Mon warned him.

"Understood," Henry acknowledged.

"We will be fucking explorers to the outer rim of sensation," Mon said and then ordered him to the bar.


Peru

The next day, a very hung-over Mon and Henry were on a luxury train through the jungles of Peru. "We're going to find the Green River," Mon said to Henry as he looked over a map. "Where the fuck is it?"

"That's Africa," Henry said helpfully.

"Damn it," Mon said displeased, and then threw the map out the window.

"I know a rubber town near that river. It's quite enchanting," Henry said.

"By rubber, you mean condoms?" Mon asked.

"No," Henry shook his head.

"You might not be useless after all," Mon said impressed.

"Thank you, Sir," Henry said appreciatively.

"Time is not of the essence. That's why we're in this train," Mon said and then ordered some drinks. "A war is at stake."

"So, the two of us are going to stop a war?" Henry wondered.

"The two of us are going to start a war," Mon corrected. "So, you're going to have to depend on yourself because otherwise, you won't survive alone."

"Right you are," Henry nodded.

"It's going to be a long ride to Amazonia so drink up," Mon ordered as he brought more bottles to their table.


Once they got off the train, the two of them hiked all over South America. Mon was patient with Henry's slowness and spent most of their time talking shit about Kara and his current circumstances in life. Finally, the two wandered into the jungles of Bolivia. Mon fired beams from his index finger every so often to cut a path through the jungle. Every so often, he would lightly power up his aura to zap all the bugs around them. Mon then noticed a snake slithering around his boots.

"Ah, a deadly-looking snake here. Excellent," Mon said pleased.

However, as they traveled farther into the jungle, they suddenly heard opera music. "What the fuck? I thought I went as far as I could from Vienna to escape this crap only to find it here," he said displeased.

Mon, the explorer, came upon a civilized town with an open opera theater. A midget in a tuxedo was present to greet them to give them tickets. "Henry...am I fucking high, right now?" Mon asked him.

"Sir, I told you licking that frog was a bad idea," Henry reminded him.

Mon and Henry ditched the opera performance and met an official of some kind in the town. "Are you Prince Mon-El?" the official asked.

"Yes," Mon said guardedly.

"Private First Class Manley, Sir, liaison to the government of the Japanese," he said saluting him.

"None of what you just said made a lick of sense," Mon said confused.

"The Japanese want you to abort your mission. They say it's far too dangerous for you," PFC Maley said.

"Well, they can go fuck themselves," Mon said, impressed by their audacity. "I want a native guide."

"You'll have to speak with the baron," PFC Manley said flatly.

Mon proceeded to talk to Baron Gondor to get himself a guide. As he entered the room, the baron didn't stand at attention for him. "Good evening, baron. I am Prince Mon-El. I'm venturing up the Green River. I need some of your men. In exchange, I promise you nothing...," Mon said.

The baron merely stared at him, totally wasted. "...but my country's goodwill," Mon concluded.

"Nobody comes back going upriver," the baron told him.

"How ominous," Mon said not taking him seriously.

"Is this slave good enough for you?" the baron asked referring to a native man brought in with a chain around his neck.

Mon eyed the slave. "Yes." He then turned back to the baron. "I'll take a squad of your men."

"It offends you to negotiate with me," the baron sensed.

"I don't negotiate with anyone," Mon clarified.

"I will help you if nothing changes. No rights, no ranks, no drones," the baron said.

"Well...I don't think you understand the power dynamic here," Mon said amused, and then blasted him. He then proceeded to slaughter every slavedriver in the town. As he executed them all, he had the opera singer perform for him.


The next morning, Mon's bloodlust had subsided. He gathered his new "slaves" to go on a boat ride. He met up with a dismayed PFC Manley before he did. "Congratulations, you're now promoted to baron," Mon told him.

"Is that a real rank?" PFC Manley wondered.

Henry wasn't so sure about these new slaves. "I'm not sure they're dependable," he said.

"Well...we're not paying them so...fuck it," Mon said unconcernedly.

Mon, Henry, and the slaves then took off on their wooden boat down the river. As they did, they struggled to get any fish. Mon fired a shockwave burst at the water stunning the fish and sending them up to the surface. Suddenly, their party was attacked by natives with bows and arrows. A man was suddenly shot through the chest and died instantly. Most of the humans dived into the water.

"Piranhas in the water, hostile natives on the surface," Henry said dryly.

"Well...shit," Mon considered as the water turned red. He fired into the jungle blasting the hostile natives away from them.

Not long afterward, all of Mon's men were sick or had infected wounds. "Slave, are we there yet?" Mon asked impatiently.

"The river is long and hard but at the end is a city of gold...and corn," the slave said.

"Gold and corn? Well, we must go forward then," Mon ordered.


That night, Mon fired on some wood to give them a campfire. The slaves were a little restless, a little annoyed that Mon had the power of a god and was doing the very bare minimum possible. "One of the slaves told me of cities of gold...like a child...like I care about gold. What he said about corn intrigued me though," Mon said to Henry.

"I think the natives are pissed at you," Henry said apprehensively.

"Read this shit," Mon requested, handing him a satellite smartphone. "It's unbearable to read, myself. Feel free to summarize."

"Your daughter, Mara, is excelling in all ways. Kon is...," Henry read.

"You can read it. I can take it," Mon said painfully.

"That's literally the end of the message," Henry said, handing the smartphone back to him.

"Maybe I shouldn't have left my family for this place," Mon considered.

"What did you hope to achieve out here?" Henry asked.

"Grand civilizations to conquer and pillage," Mon said honestly. "We have to get to the source of this river."


The next day, one of the men played on his flute as they boated down the river. "That's right, give our position away," Mon said sarcastically.

"Our food is gone. One banana piece left," one man said horrified.

"You all...should fight over it," Mon suggested.

"We're leaving our bones here, prince. And for what?" one man asked him. "We're not going to be able to get back without any food. Did you think about that?"

"Didn't cross my mind," Mon admitted.

"We're here starving to death with no gold to show for it," he said with a long knife.

Mon pointed his index finger at the man and lightly fired near his ear forcing the man to back away. "Next one, goes up your ass." The boat then arrived at the source of the river, a waterfall pool.

The men cheered believing themselves to be the first to discover the source of the river. "Yep, right where the GPS said it would be," Mon said checking his smartphone.

"Please, my prince, be merciful and give us some food," one man begged.

"I suppose," Mon said unenthusiastically. He sensed the area for all living things and then fired a beam into the forest, killing a hog.

"Couldn't have done it better myself," Henry complimented.

"Well, yeah, obviously," Mon smirked.

A panther then arrived to steal their kill. Mon stared down the large cat and held out his hand.


London

The men brought the bodies of the hog and panther onto the boat and took off back home. After a long journey back to civilization, Mon and Henry took the train, got on a boat, and headed to England. Prince Mon then got a glorious welcome from the British public in London. He had been gone for about two weeks.

"Prince Mon, you are the greatest explorer," one man said to him.

"I know, thank you," Mon said appreciatively. Mon then met Kara who had been waiting for him.

"So, did you find anything?" she asked expectedly.

"I killed a hog...and a panther," Mon said proudly.

"Here's your son," Kara said showing Kon to him.

"Are you my father?" Kon asked.

"You little shit, I was only gone for two weeks," Mon scolded.

"Let's go home," Kara said as the crowds gathered around them.

"Thank you all," Mon said sarcastically to the crowd.


Kara and Mon came by a mansion owned by the new Prime Minister of England, James Murry. Brainiac 5 relinquished command once he felt the humans were ready for it. At the mansion, Brainiac 5 gave Mon a tour of the place. "Mr. Murry is anxious to meet you," Brainiac 5 said to Mon.

"Nice home you gave him," Mon rolled his eyes.

"His reputation affords it," Brainiac 5 said defensively. "As Prime Minister of a country, he's afforded a general rank."

"Prince Mon-El, I see you...down there. Welcome to my inner circle," Murry said arrogantly from the second floor. Mon smiled appreciating the man's audacity to speak to him in such a way.

At the dinner table, Brainiac 5 was at Mon's side. "Everyone is anxious to hear your speech before parliament."

"Better start writing it," Mon said having no intention of doing so.

"Listen to them. They're all talking about your mission," Murry said to Mon.

"As they should," Mon nodded.

"Extraordinary. I read your article in the Daily Planet this morning about the slave trade in the Americas. Poor sons-of-bitches. You're an enlightened man," Murry said.

"I merely reported on it. I didn't give an opinion on it," Mon clarified.

"I'm a biologist but I'm somewhat of an explorer. I took a cruise ship to Antarctica. Did you know that?" Murry asked.

"Nope," Mon shook his head.

"Well, it's been my lifelong ambition to go to the Amazon, you know?" Murry said.

"Oh, really? Well, I found some pots and pans in the jungle," Mon said nonchalantly.

"My friend, a word of advice, please. Your exploits have opened every door for you, but I would suggest keeping such findings to yourself. It's one thing to defend the primitive jungle men. It's quite another to elevate their capacity beyond reason. I mean, no one would dispute what you believe you saw but such a trip is very hard on the mind, very hard," Murry said.

"Mr. Murry, the racism you have now articulated is so extremely proper, and the feelings you have discovered so justly adapted to this occasion, that I receive with pleasure that the choice has fallen on you to be England's prime minister," Mon said impressed.


Mon went before the English parliament to discuss his trip. "Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I would like to present Prince Mon-El, whose achievements are now known to you and not inconsiderable," Murry introduced.

"I am proposing that Amazonia has a hidden civilization. One that may have existed even a thousand years ago," Mon said.

Parliament was highly skeptical of this claim. "Your Highness, I am William Barkley of Bedford, and I have been to South America on holiday. Now, to be clear, are you insisting on mythical kingdoms of gold and corn?"

"I have seen with my own eyes evidence of their civilization. And I assure you, those pots and pans are real," Mon said defensively.

"Are you insisting that these savages, they're our equals?" Barkley asked.

"Yeah, maybe, I don't know," Mon shrugged. "You're all equally worthless compared to me. But if we find this ancient civilization, it could rewrite all of human history. Consider my evidence, pots, and pans...made of metal in the middle of the jungle."

"Pots and pans, pot and pans, pots and pans!" Parliament shouted enthusiastically.

"I will find this ancient city. The city, Al Zap, the City of Zap," Mon declared. "It is there, and I will find it."

"Prince Mon-El, I say we return. I say we go and find this glory! What say you?" Murry asked Mon.

"I say, I accept that challenge!" Mon announced. "Mr. Wayne, I see you sitting there," Mon pointed out.

"Crap," Henry realized.

"Will you return with us?" Mon asked.

"Sure, fuck it," Henry sighed.

"We shall return! And we shall find the glory!" Mon shouted enthusiastically earning the grand applause of parliament.


In bed, Mon tried to convince Kara this was a good plan. "I have such high hopes."

"You've lived in the past a thousand years ago. You know Bolivia and the rest of South America had a civilization. But you want to send a British army into South America to find the lost city of Zap?" Kara asked incredulously.

"Yes," Mon said resolved.

"It's not Al Zap, It's La Paz," Kara corrected.

"Oh, who gives a shit what it's called," Mon said dismissively.

"You know how offensive this was to all of my South American ambassadors? They hate you now," Kara informed him.

"They'll thank me when I find the lost city of gold and corn," Mon said confidently.

"I feel I should go on your next journey...to supervise you," Kara said.

"What do you mean?" Mon asked concernedly.

"The children will be in school. I know how to navigate. I know the history of the region," Kara said.

"Yeah, that would be impossible," Mon said condescendingly. "It's not a place for a woman except the native women already there. It's their place to be there."

"I thought you believed in the equality between us," Kara said offended.

"Do you listen to yourself? Constantly lording over me with your silly human titles," Mon rolled his eyes. 'This is beyond your pain threshold."

"I believe the pain of childbirth exceeds anything a man has experienced," Kara pointed out.

"Says the woman that skipped it," Mon mocked.

"I've felt pain before," Kara said darkly. "You have no idea what it feels to have Kryptonite bullets inside your body, the weakness, the burning, the radiation sickness."

"Yes, yes, I've heard it all before," Mon said dismissively. "The jungle is about practice, training, the art of soldiery. I have that shit. You could not bear it."

"I got along fine on this planet long before you arrived," Kara pointed out.

"If you came along, you would non-stop bitch. And in this fantasy of yours, what happens to the children?" Mon asked.

"Like you give a shit," Kara scoffed.

"Please, for once, try to be reasonable," Mon beseeched her.

"Was it reasonable for you to lose a dozen men on a failed camping boat trip only to discover something we both already knew?" Kara asked dismayed. "What about my aspirations as a woman? Ever think about that?"

"Men hunt in the jungle, women stay in the kitchen, it is the cornerstone of every successful surviving civilization," Mon told her off.

"I expected slightly more from you than this," Kara said honestly.

"I've assessed the situation, and I'm going to leave," Mon said and then instantly disappeared.


Brazil-Somewhere

Mon was back at it again with a new squad. "I feel like I've forgotten someone," Mon sensed.

"Murry is in the rear," Henry reported.

"That fat fuck is always slowing us down," Mon said peeved. "Murry! You still alive back there."

"Yes!" Murry shouted from a great distance away. "I'm thinking to dump my pack."

"Keep some spare clothes. I don't intend for you to walk around in the nude," Mon ordered.

"The poor bastard wishes he was back in Antarctica," Henry remarked.

"He better pull his own weight," Mon said annoyed.

Eventually, everyone got back on the boat and went down the river. Immediately, the natives started firing arrows at them. "Everyone out," Henry said to everyone. The humans got out of the boat and made their way to shore where they took cover. Mon let several arrows bounce off him and then went inside the jungle. He came back to his squad and told them to come in.

"You're safe now. The chief has invited us to be his guests," Mon explained.

"How did you manage that?" Henry asked curiously.

"I killed the former chief and promoted the next in line," Mon smirked.

The squad then noticed that the natives were cooking a human corpse over a flame with human skulls lying around. Murry backed away spooked. "You nervous, all shook up?" Mon smiled.

"This is a tribe of cannibals," Murry pointed out.

"Well...no shit," Mon confirmed.

"I refuse this madness," Murry said disgustedly.

"Don't be a bitch," Mon chided.

"I refuse it," Murry said walking off.

Mon ignored him and had a meeting with the new chief and the rest of the village to get intelligence on the lost city. Mon and Henry then overlooked the village and their farms. "Look at all that corn," Mon said impressed.

"Murry's not around," Henry reminded him.

"Well, I suppose we should go find him," Mon said unenthusiastically.


The squad eventually found Murry lost in the jungle. He had eaten all the food and was looking rather pathetic. "I've got a nasty wound on my leg, and I think I have a fever," he said lamely.

"Clean this shit up," Mon ordered his squad as the packs were in disarray.

"I'm a little bit tired. I think I'll rest here a while," Murry said.

"You have no right to be tired. My own children, at their tender ages, could be counted on more than you," Mon said disdainfully.

"Water, please," Murry requested.

"You'll get water when we get back to the raft," Mon told him. "Get his fat ass up," he ordered his squad.


On the way down the river, the raft got into some trouble. Murry's fat ass unbalanced the raft causing supplies to fall off and the raft to start sinking. In the chaos, Henry was tossed off. "Get to shore," Mon told him.

Murry also fell off but clutched the raft for dear life causing it to nearly tip over. "Get to shore, you fat fuck," Mon yelled at him. Eventually, Murry released his hold on the raft and had to be rescued by Henry.

Mon parked the raft on the shore and assessed the situation. "We've lost a third of our rations," Henry informed him.

"Well...shit," Mon muttered.

"I was drowning," Murry complained bitterly.

"There wouldn't have been a chance of that if you hadn't eaten our food," Mon critiqued.

"I suppose I should have starved myself," Murry said sarcastically. "That would have been the honorable thing to do, wouldn't it?"

"Yeah," Mon said obviously.

"Is that it? Do you want me to die?" Murry asked pathetically. "I just want to die."

Mon refused his request wanting him to suffer more. He put him a distance away from the camp. "Well, we're two days behind and Murry now has blood poisoning."

"I noticed," Mon said unconcernedly. "You think he'll make it?"

"Slim chance," Henry figured.

Mon approached Murry as he was slowly becoming senile. "Yes, what is it?" Murry asked.

"There are mine encampments to the south of the river. I'm going to give you a horse, some supplies, and a native to guide you," Mon said mercifully.

"You don't give a shit about me or about any in the party. You don't even care about going home. You only care about your lost city," Murry accused.

"It's the Insane way," Mon told him.

As soon as Murry left the camp and was out of sight, Mon instantly teleported all remaining members of the party back to England.


England

Mon arrived at Windsor Castle unaccomplished. He played fetch with Kon and eyed Mara as she created complex structures with blocks. "Such a beautiful child," Mon said of Mara.

"Do my eyes deceive me? You're back with nothing to show for it," Kara chided.

"How much they've grown," Mon said of the children. "You've done well with them," he said subdued, and then entered the castle.

Kara gave him a concerned look wondering what had happened in the jungle to crush his spirit.


London

Mon entered the parliamentary building and met with members of the cabinet. Brainiac 5 was at the head supervising the human government. Mon gave Murry a surprised look, not expecting him to be alive. Mon sat down with a smug look on his face. "Congrats on your safe return," he said to Murry.

"Mr. Murry contends that you abandoned him. Is this correct?" Brainiac 5 asked.

"No," Mon answered. "He was given money and food. It was an unfortunate situation but necessary to save lives."

"Cut the shit. You have instant transmission. Furthermore, there was never any evidence of a lost city," Murry said angrily.

"Yeah, because of you," Mon accused.

"I cannot tolerate any further insult from this Insane man. I have retained counsel and I will proceed accordingly," Murry said.

"I'm shaking," Mon mocked. "I should have beat your ass like the dog that you are."

"Gentlemen, it ill becomes us to indulge in personal conflicts. I earnestly beseech you all to come to an understanding," Brainiac 5 said diplomatically.

"Very well. I generously offer that if you are willing to apologize to me here in front of this assembled cabinet, I will consider withdrawing my claims against you with certain conditions, of course," Murry said.

"You can kiss my ass, with certain conditions, of course," Mon shot back.

"Prince Mon, will you apologize?" Brainiac 5 pressed.

"For the general good, I am prepared to reconcile. I will, of course, need to hear Mr. Murry's conditions," Mon allowed.

"My only condition is that your wife, the queen, be present to witness your acknowledgment of the wrongs you have done to me," Murry said.

"Acknowledging the wrongs I have done to you is not the same as an apology," Mon said smartly.

"I demand an apology right now. You will apologize to me!" Murry demanded and then slammed his fist on the table.

"Fuck no," Mon refused. "You think you can ambush the Prince of all Insane here?" Mon then went over to Murry, touched his shoulder, and then they both instantly teleported away. Mon then teleported back into the room with some frost on his clothes.

"Where did you send the prime minister?" Brainiac 5 asked patiently.

"Somewhere in the Arctic," Mon replied vaguely. "Now, does anyone else want to accuse me of shit?" The remaining cabinet members were silent. "Good," Mon said pleased, and then left the room.


3023-Midvale

Kon eyed a rabbit in a field with his falcon vision. He continued to track it with his X-ray vision and sensed the creature's very small ki signature. He raised his index finger and fired a beam of light that killed the rabbit instantly. He was six but appeared to be 15 with spiky black hair and a lean physique.

"Good shot, Kon," Mon said as he approached him.

"Thank you, father," Kon said pleased.

"You're becoming quite the expert with that finger," Mon praised.

"Practice makes perfect," Kon smirked. "Let's go find the city of Zap."

"That's a bit random. It's been years since I've been in that shithole," Mon said reflectively.

"That is why we should go back," Kon said wide-eyed. "You and I, together. We could find the city once and for all."

"Kon, I'm an old bastard now," Mon said disinterestedly.

"Father, you and I both know you easily outmatch my strengths. There is nothing stopping us. Nothing that can stop the Insane," Kon enticed.

"Sure...fuck it," Mon agreed.


At the cottage at Midvale, Kara and Mon argued over this new plan. "This lost city of yours is bullshit," Kara told him.

"Mara is so annoying. She just slapped me!" Kon complained.

"Alright, Mara, don't slap him," Kara ordered. "Now, go."

"She hit me in the face," Kon repeated.

"Go get some wood," Kara said, giving him something random to do. Kara then turned to Mon. "There's no doubt I would worry night and day, my boys in the jungle. Not for you but for the natives. But I've never let fear get in the way of adventure."

"Kon, we're leaving!" Mon ordered him back.

Kon zipped back into the room ready for action. "You have training to do," Kara said to him.

"Of course," Kon said wide-eyed and then took off again.

"I'm surprised you agreed so quickly," Mon mused.

"What choice do I have? It's his Insane nature. It would be wrong to betray it," Kara replied. "Besides, you will be there to guide him."


Brazil-Somewhere

Mon teleported Kon to the jungle and the two immediately started searching. The overall density of the jungle had greatly increased over the last several years due to Kara and Brainiac 5's ecological work. Many of the settlements Mon had visited were now gone, overwhelmed by the jungle growth. The human population, for the most part, had been relocated out of the Amazonian rainforest to the coastal areas.

Kon took the lead through the forest and then suddenly stopped as if sensing something. "Stay calm, keep going," Mon ordered him. They quickly became ambushed by a native tribe that had been left behind. The native tribe began shouting and hooting at them.

"Remember what I told you," Mon said to him.

Kon nodded and then made a run for it at around human speed. The native tribal people gave chase. Kon outran them until he arrived on an open field. He kept going waiting for just the right moment when the war party was completely exposed. Kon then turned around and went for his sword. Within a split second, Kon was on the other side of the field. The natives, in stunned silence, froze in place. Kon then clinked his sword back into its sheath. All the natives fell to the ground in pieces.

"Lethal as fuck," Kon smiled, impressed with himself.

Mon then teleported to the field and saw the carnage. "Damn," he said amazed. Kon had sliced off the heads and all the limbs of every combatant.

The two continued their venture into the rainforest and then found the ruins of a large ancient city that was once Manaus, Brazil. The city was in ruins with the jungle overtaking it. "Is this it?" Kon wondered.

"Yes, we have found the Lost City," Mon smiled.