Clark Kent made his way to the Metropolis Orphanage. He was writing a piece on the establishment for the Daily Planet. He was looking forward to it. It had been a few weeks since he had an assignment that he could really sink his teeth into. Walking up the steps made him think. Clark was somewhat an orphan himself. He would never know his birth parents. But he was a lucky one, as he couldn't have been adopted by better people. Not all these children will have that luxury. Clark knocks on the front door and is greeted by an employee.
"May I help you?" The employee asks.
"Hi, I'm Clark Kent with the Daily Planet. I was meeting with someone here today for a story with the paper." Clark says.
"Oh yes, you're here to meet with Mr. Schott. I can take you to his office." The employee says.
Clark and the employee make their way through the halls of the orphanage. The children here seem happy. On the way, they pass a large room. Clark takes pause. The room is filled with toys. It was like nothing Clark had ever seen. All sorts of unique vintage toys. Plush dolls, drum sets, mechanical robots, everything a kid could want.
"Mr. Schott takes great pride in his toy collection. Some of the children here call him the Toyman." The employee explains.
Eventually, the two reach the office of Winslow P. Schott.
"Mr. Schott, this is Clark Kent from the Daily Planet. He's here for the interview." The employee says.
"Yes, come in." Winslow says.
Winslow was a slightly older man. He was short man with a bit of a belly. His hair was dark and longer in the back, but balding in the front.
"Mr. Schott, it's nice to meet you." Clark says, extending his hand.
"A pleasure Mr. Kent." Winslow says, shaking Clark's hand.
"So where should we begin?" Winslow asks.
"Well, tell me a little bit about yourself. How long have you been running this place?" Clark asks.
"I've been in charge here for about the past seven years." Winslow says.
"I made note of your impressive toy collection out the." Clark says.
"Oh yes, I've been a collector since long before I ran this place. They make the children happy too." Winslow says.
"Could you give me a tour of the rest of the place?" Clark asks.
"Very well." Winslow responds.
Winslow takes Clark throughout the house. There are two other toy rooms just like the one Clark saw earlier on. The two make their way to the kitchen area.
"This is where the kids eat three meals a day." Winslow says.
Clark looks out at the kids in the room. The tables are set up like a school cafeteria. One of the boys makes his way over to Clark and Winslow. He's one of the older kids, probably around four-teen or fifteen. Clark notices that he is wearing a Superman shirt.
"Billy, I'd like you to meet someone. Billy Batson, this is Clark Kent. He's writing a story on our house for the paper." Winslow says.
Billy looks on shyly.
"You'll have to excuse Billy, he's rather quiet." Winslow says.
"Do you like Superman?" Clark asks.
Billy nods his head.
"Well, I've actually met him a few times." Clark says.
"Is he nice?" Billy asks.
"He's very nice." Clark says.
Billy just stands there.
"I wish I could be like him. He's so strong, he must not have any problems." Billy says.
"Superman has told me that he does what he does to inspire hope in others. People like you, Billy." Clark says.
Billy nods.
"Okay Billy, why don't you run along." Winslow says.
"You'll have to excuse Billy. He's been here a long time." Winslow says.
"What happens when these kids turn eight-teen?" Clark asks.
Winslow sighs.
"Unfortunately, they age out. We don't have the funds to keep them on." Winslow says.
"Can't the government help?" Clark asks.
"Ha, they don't want to give us the little money they do. Come I have more to show you." Winslow says.
The two continue their tour of the house. They reach the final hallway; it contains four bedrooms with three bunk beds per room. Clark looks on, but also feels bad. He believes Mr. Schott is doing what he can for these kids, but they still have so little.
There is one final room at the end of the hall.
"That rooms off limits." Winslow snaps as Clark heads for it.
"What's in it?" Clark asks.
"Just business stuff. I don't like the kids going in there and messing with the paper work." Winslow explains.
Clark can't help but sense something strange about that room. He uses his x-ray vision to try and peak in. But the wall is lined with lead. Very suspicious, Clark thinks. Winslow and Clark make their way back to Winslow's office.
"Well, that's everything." Winslow says.
"Thank you for your time Mr. Schott." Clark says.
Just then Winslow's phone rings.
"Excuse me." Winslow says.
Winslow heads off to answer his phone. Clark is about to leave, when he sees something on Winslow's desk. It's a paper with all the registered kids living in the home. Clark sneaks off with it.
The next day at work, Clark sits at his desk going over all the names on the list. That locked room weighs heavily on his mind.
Lois throws down a paper on Clark's desk. Its cover shows Superman stopping an Intergang attack last night.
"Good work." Lois says.
"You're the one that got the byline. And Jimmy even got credited with the photo." Clark says.
"Just take the compliment." Lois says.
Lois notices the papers on Clark's desk.
"What are you working on this time?" Lois asks.
"It's a story about that orphanage up town." Clark says.
"The one with that toy guy?" Lois asks.
"You know about him?" Clark asks.
"I interviewed him right after college. Right around the time he took over that orphanage in fact." Lois says.
"What do you think of him?" Clark asks.
"He kind of gave me the creeps. But he's put a lot of money into that place over the years." Lois says.
"He said they struggle to get funding." Clark says.
"Well, he must get money somehow. That place has been built up nicely." Lois says, her mouth half full with her morning bagel.
Clark sits back and thinks. He spends his time trying to memorize this list of kids. There are one-hundred and thirty-six kids listed. Clark intends to memorize them all.
"Kent!" Perry yells.
"You have that article on the orphanage?" He asks.
"Not yet sir." Clark says.
"What's the hold up? Perry asks.
"There's more to this story." Clark says.
"How much more can there be? This is supposed to be a simple article about a local orphanage." Perry says.
"Something isn't right about it chief." Clark says.
Perry pauses. He needs the article for page nine, but trusts in Clark's intuition.
"You better get a good story out of this." Perry says.
"Yes sir." Clark assures.
"I'll have to go see what Troupe has." Perry says, mostly concerned with page nine.
Clark sits back and thinks. He needs a way back in to investigate. He then considers that perhaps Superman can go places Clark can't.
That Saturday after helping out at the Cartwright's community center, Superman flies over the city. He heads up to the orphanage. Superman sees a large group of kids playing on the playground outside. He flies down to greet them.
The kids run over to see him. They are excited for this unexpected treat. Through the sea of kids, Winslow makes his way to Superman.
"Mr. Superman, this is an unexpected surprise." Winslow says.
"I thought I could do my part to bring these kids some cheer." Superman says.
"And I appreciate that. I do just wish you would have called first. We are on a tight schedule around here." Winslow says.
"I can spend the rest of my day here." Superman says.
"Great." Winslow says, not too thrilled.
Winslow gets on his megaphone.
"Okay kids, line up. Superman says he will make time for each and every one of you." Winslow says.
As the kids line up to meet Superman, Winslow heads off to his office. The kids are very excited for a chance to meet the man of steel. Superman recognizes a lot of them from when he was here the other day. One that sticks out is Billy Batson.
"Hey Mr. Superman, it's great to meet you." Billy says with a big grin on his face.
"It's nice to meet you too." Superman says. He takes note of Billy, he was so shy with Clark, but around Superman he really opens up.
As Superman gets towards the end of the line, he notices a car pull up. Out of it step two well-dressed business men. They head inside.
Superman tries to listen in.
"We're here for the girl." One of the men says.
"Now's not a good time. Not with him right outside." Winslow says.
"We paid you good money, and now we're here to collect." The other man says.
The final girl says hello to Superman. Superman checks his list, but there's one name that's missing.
Back inside, the men continue their conversation with Winslow.
"You'll get your merchandise, I promise. But I wouldn't suggest moving her with him so close." Winslow says.
"I expect her to be delivered in the next forty-eight hours." The man says.
"Very well." Winslow agrees.
As the two men leave, Superman speeds up to Winslow's office. Winslow turns around, and bumps into Superman.
"Oh, Mr. Superman. Excuse me." Winslow says.
"I've met with all the kids." Superman.
"Excellent. Well, thank you for coming." Winslow says.
"There's just one thing." Superman says.
"What's that?" Winslow asks.
"I was looking through the list of children, and I think there was one missing." Superman says.
"Oh?" Winslow exclaims, his heart rate beginning to rise.
"Rachel Roth." Superman says.
"There's um- there's no one here by that name." Winslow says, beginning to sweat.
Superman scans the building with his x-ray vision. He once again sees the room lined with lead. He speeds off to it.
"Superman wait-" Winslow calls out.
Superman rips the door open. It's dark inside.
"Hello." Superman calls out.
He can hear someone mumbling inside.
"No friends. Just a figment." The voice says.
"Rachel?" Superman says.
"Go away, you have to go away." The voice says, weakly.
Superman approaches the girl. She's young, perhaps fourteen or fifteen. Her skin is pale and she has mid length purple hair.
"Superman." Winslow says from behind.
"You monster, what have you done?" Superman asks.
"I really wish you didn't see this." Winslow says.
"I'm going to stop this." Superman says.
"I can't let you do that." Winslow says.
Winslow holds a remote in his hand. He hits a button on it, and into the room walks a life size army man.
"Why do you think they call me the Toyman?" Winslow asks.
Superman doesn't seem too concerned. He walks towards the robot.
"There's a rumor about you. That you don't do so well against a particular green rock. Well guess what this army man is powered with." Winslow says.
The robotic army man begins to glow. He is powered by a kryptonite battery, similar to Metallo.
Superman falls to his knees in pain. He can't focus. There is a bayonet on the end of the army man's riffle. He stabs Superman's shoulder with it.
"AHH." Superman shouts in pain.
Winslow feels a swell of excitement. He's really going to do it. He's going to defeat Superman.
"I'm sorry Superman. But I need the funds to keep running this place." Winslow says.
The army man swings his rifle across Superman's face. Cutting him on the cheek. Superman is down. The kryptonite is draining his energy, and he's bleeding. The army man winds up for the killing blow.
"NO!" Rachel yells.
Just then the sound of a bird, a raven, screeches through the room. Then the shadowy figure of a raven appears. It sucks the army man away. To where, Superman doesn't know. He looks over to Rachel. This power, it came from her. Raven falls to he knees, her energy exhausted.
Winslow tries to escape, but Superman is there to stop him.
"I had to. Believe I had to." Winslow pleads.
"I've seen some terrible things before, but this might be the worst." Superman says.
Later that week, Angela Chen is reporting on the story for Metropolis News Five.
"Earlier this week, owner of a local orphanage, Winslow Schott, was arrested when it was discovered he was trafficking children from his own orphanage. For what reason is still unknown. Schott has been sentenced to prison at Striker's Island, and is being held until an undetermined court date. The orphanage was purchased by the Wayne Foundation and president of Wayne Enterprises, Bruce Wayne. Mr. Wayne had this to says."
"As an orphan myself this is not an endeavor I take lightly. I will make it my mission to get these children the best care I can." Bruce says at a press conference.
Lois throws down the issue of the Daily Planet where Clark broke the story.
"You really did something good for those kids." Lois says.
"This whole thing sickens me to the core." Clark says.
"Where's Rachel now?" Lois asks.
"She's safe." Clark says.
A few months ago, a space ship crashed in the San Francisco Bay. The hero, Nightwing, was able to diffuse the situation and even make friends with the alien inside. A girl named Kori, but goes by the alias Starfire. Her ship still sits on the island in the bay. It crashed upright, in a "T" shape. Superman and Batman have come here today to meet with Nightwing and Starfire. From what Superman can gather, Nightwing was Batman's first Robin.
"This orphanage was just the tip of the iceberg. As far as we can tell, some organization is trafficking young children all over the world that display special powers." Batman says.
"Then Kori and I will make it our top priority to bring this group down." Nightwing says.
Starfire looks down at Rachel. She was a few years older than Rachel, her and Nightwing both were about eight-teen. She leans down to Rachel.
"You are welcome to stay with us." Starfire says.
Rachel looks up to Superman. She didn't want to leave his.
"You were the one that saved me." Rachel says.
"You saved me too. If it wasn't for you, I might not be here right now." Superman says.
Rachel hugs Superman and then runs over to Starfire.
"You don't have to be alone anymore Rachel." Starfire says.
"Raven, my mother named me Raven."
Very well, Raven." Starfire says.
Superman and Batman watch as the three head to the ship, their home.
"Do you think they're ready for this task?" Superman asks.
"They have to be." Batman says.
Batman then heads to his ship, The Batwing, to fly home. Superman flies off himself.
At Striker's Island, Winslow sits in his cell.
"Schott you have a visitor." The guard says.
"Hello Mr. Schott." A women's voice says.
"Who's there?" Winslow asks.
"My boss was very impressed with your robotic genius." The women says.
"I would think so, it was a marvel of engineering." Winslow says.
"How would you like to help him with another project?" The woman says.
"A project like that doesn't come cheap." Winslow says.
"No it's not. But my boss is prepared." The woman says as she walks out of the shadows. It's Mercy Graves.