Disclaimer: DC Comics owns all rights to the characters within. They are used without permission and not meant to infringe on copyrights nor meant to generate income.
Public Enemy Number One, chapter 7
"Are you ready?" Superman asked.
Match ran through everything in his head. He had his opening statement memorized and had prepared answers to all the likely questions. He had forced a neutral expression onto his face to hide his irritation.
"I am," he said as he rose.
The two entered the room to face the committee.
"We're here today to discuss clones and the potential threat that they represent," the chairman said. "We are also here to discuss one specific clone and the actions it has taken recently."
Superman gave Match a glance to see his reaction to being described as 'it.' Match's expression did not change; he had too much self-control to show anger at that.
The first several hours consisted of the committee consulting scientific and ethical experts. They were mostly led by questions from the committee members to acknowledge that clones could not exist without the scientific process to create them and those who create clones could program them to do what they wanted.
"How do you think it's going?" Superman asked Match during a break.
"Badly," was Match's reply. "They've heard a lot to regard clones as just property that can't think for themselves. It's going to be very messy when it's my turn to testify. They're going to be very rude and insulting."
"Are you going to be able to control your temper?"
"Of course. You've never seen me lose my temper, have you? It would take a lot more than this to get me to do that."
Superman looked off into the distance. "There's been a disturbance. J'onn is taking care of it."
"There will be more," Match predicted.
There were more situations that the Titans, Outsiders, JLA, and Green Lantern were forced to deal with. As Match was called to address the committee, two more emergencies occurred; one of them required Supergirl, the other Superman.
Kor-El should be attacking soon, Match thought to himself as he was escorted to the table in front of the committee.
"I understand you have some remarks you'd like to make before we begin?" the chairman asked.
"Yes, Mr. Chairman, I do," Match replied.
He began his remarks. "You have heard numerous experts address how clones are different from other human beings. I would like to remind you of the ways that we are similar. For those of us with free will, we feel the same things that others feel. We can laugh, cry, and love, just like everyone else. The manner of our creation may be different, but we are fundamentally the same."
"There are those clones that do wrong. There are also clones that have saved the world. To judge us simply as a group is wrong; we are individuals."
A slow clap came from the audience and a mocking voice called out, "Well done!"
The chairman frowned. "The audience will be silent! I will have you removed if you continue this outburst!"
Kor-El stood up, wearing a suit. He emitted a flash and was dressed in his original costume.
"I'm here to take care of Match," he announced. "The rest of you should get out; he's a dangerous person. You might get hurt in the crossfire."
Kor-El let out a burst of telekinetic force, throwing those near him aside. Match telekinetically caught them before they hit anything and suffered serious injury.
"Get out of here," Match told everyone. "It will be impossible for me to protect all of you."
"I don't think so," Kor-El said. "I want an audience! But I do think that they should get out of the way. I don't want them to interfere with our little reunion."
A few people tried to flee, but they ran into a telekinetic barrier.
Match stood, silently measuring the odds. They weren't as bad as he had feared.
"I've got some familiar looking faces for you to deal with before we have our confrontation," Kor-El told him. "It's time for you to come and play with your big brother!"
The roof of the Capitol Building ripped open and six white-haired young men floated in. They were all dressed in Match's Agenda costume. They looked exactly like him.
Match recalculated the odds; they were much worse now.
"I'm going to let you play with each other now," Kor-El said. "Be sure to bite and kick each other."
The six clones of Match advanced. Match unleashed a wave of force at them. Unfortunately for him, it dampened out moments after he used it. Match grimaced; they were ready to suppress anything he tried with his powers.
"Come now, Kru-El," Kor-El called out. "You can do better than that!"
The six clones sprung at him as one. Match lashed out with one hand, catching a clone on the jaw. He used his other hand to deliver a vicious chop at another's stomach while he rolled away. He was glad that his hand to hand abilities were added well after he was created; these clones seemed to be at the level he was at his creation.
He felt pressure bearing down on him. Max realized that at least one of the clones must be using his powers to hinder his movement. That made things more difficult for him; his combat style was based on his mobility. He tried to break the hold on him, but his concentration was split too many ways.
The six clones charged him again, and he was unable to dodge. He fought them, but Match feared it was a losing battle.
Suddenly, one of them went flying across the room, and the others shifted their attention to a newcomer. Match smiled; it was Superboy.
"I broke the barrier," Kon explained. "Everybody's safe now."
"Let's get them," Match said.
Kor-El watched the battle between the two and his six clones with a deepening frown. This wasn't the way he had thought it was going to go; Match was supposed to fight alone.
With the introduction of Superboy in the combat, the clones were no longer able to continue restraining Match. They fought on, never saying a word, but they eventually fell before the two brothers.
Kor-El applauded them. "Well done, Kon-El. Well done, Kru-El. I am impressed. I failed to account for Kon-El's presence, otherwise I would have had more clones. I do have one more thing to do though."
"What's that?" Kon asked, breathing heavily from the exertion.
Kor-El produced a device. "This."
He pressed a button on it. The clones burst into flame and were incinerated before Superboy or Match could do anything.
"No!" Match shouted. "You monster!"
"Ah, ah," admonished Kor-El. "You're the monster here, Kru-El, not me. If it weren't for you, they wouldn't have had to die a horrible death."
"You're insane," Kon told him. "You're beyond help."
Kor-El ignored him. "I must take my leave of you now. I'm sure I'll see you again. Soon."
A blue and red blur came flying through the hole in the roof and ran into Kor-El. Superman had arrived, and he just knocked out Kor-El.
"Just one punch?" he said in disbelief. "I thought it would take more than that."
Kon beat Match to the comment. "It was a good punch."
Match smiled at the reference.
Kor-El was taken back into custody. The committee before which Match was testifying was chastened by the events that had occurred. They realized that they had been manipulated and were not please by that fact.
Cameras had caught the entire fight on tape, and these images were soon everywhere. Match was exonerated of the suspicion he was under.
There were still some tensions regarding clones. After all, it was a clone that set up the entire incident. However, that two clones were primarily responsible for its resolution was not lost on the public. That Superman was supportive of these young men helped too.
The night after everything had been resolved; Conner looked at Max before they went to bed. It seemed as if he had been holding back a certain tension, and that was now gone.
"Hey," he said. "It's over. You did well. I didn't think you were worried about public opinion."
Max briefly smiled before responding. "I wasn't. Whether the public like or dislikes me makes no difference."
"The fact that you look relaxed would seem to contradict that."
"I was worried, but not for myself."
"Explain."
"I've worried about the attitudes towards clones. It was getting uncomfortable, and it could have spilled over to the innocent."
"How so?"
"If clones were under restriction, then it would have affected others that were blameless, like Guardian and you. I couldn't let that happen."
"What were you going to do? Fall on your sword?"
"I gave it serious thought."
"What!"
"I wasn't going to be the reason you were put under any restrictions. I would have surrendered before that happened."
"You don't have to look after me. I can take care of myself."
"It would have been my fault that you would be in trouble."
Conner gave him a look. "This was just as hard as the other time, wasn't it? You were keeping your fear for all clones to yourself and suffering for it. You weren't responsible for any of it. You need to accept that you're a good guy. You're very important to a lot of people, including me. Will you stop being so hard on yourself?"
Max looked a little tentative. "I'll try."
-----
Because I didn't want to give anything away, I'll now answer questions from the comments.
Kor-El did have clones as his disposal, but didn't care about them.
Match's commando team was operating under its own initiative. Match was a bit busy as he was juggling too many things, even for him. Fortunately, he found someone to provide them guidance.
Kor-El is insane. His incoherence is intentional.
Any and all comments welcome!