Battle Of The Supermen

by SuperBear

A Clark Kent from a meteor-ravaged Smallville meets four different versions of his future self, Superman. As they talk about their different lives, they meet an android, an ally and an enemy until eventually they are manipulated into fighting each other.

2. Chapter 2

Part Two: Who's the New Guy?

"My master has sent me here to help and guide you."

Clark scrunched up his face in a frown. "Who's your master?"

"I cannot reveal that at this time," the new Superman said, a little stiff.

Dad-Superman marched forward with a clenched fist. "I need to get home."

"You will," New-Superman said in a reassuring voice. Stiffly, he raised an open palm in a gentle "stop" gesture. "Let me assure you, gentlemen, or 'Supermen'-" here, he smiled, and to Clark, the smile looked a little awkward, a little off "-you are in no danger."

"So you say," Mild-Superman replied.

"He's right," Slick-Superman said solemnly. "We have only your word for that."

"My word is my bond," the new Superman said in an eerily calm voice. "I am, after all, Superman."

For a moment, the Supermen, and Clark, looked a little grumpy. Then….

"You know what, guys? I think we're okay here," Nerd-Clark said.

"Maybe," Mild Superman said with mild grumpiness.

"So," Clark said. "What's next?"

New-Superman seemed off in a world of his own.

"This place reminds me of 'The Gamesters of Triskelion' from 'Star Trek.' There, aliens of different races were gathered to fight each other while powerful beings gambled on the outcome."

"Watch a lot of TV, do you?" Clark sniffed.

"I've seen that episode," Mild-Superman said. "Not that I've spent a lot of time watching TV." He gave Clark a pointed look.

"I don't think we got 'Star Trek' out on the farm," Nerd-Clark said. "Not much time to watch TV, anyway."

"I've never heard of this 'Star Trek,'" Slick-Superman said.

"I vaguely remember it," Dad-Superman said. "I think Jordan was into it for a while."

Clark rubbed his chin. "You think that's what's happening here? We've been gathered to fight?"

"Except we're all Kryptonian," Slick-Superman said. "Aren't we?"

They all nodded. New-Superman attempted another smile.

"If we're from different worlds, however, we're going to have different experiences." His voice was still strangely calm. "But different as we are, someone has brought us together."

Clark was reminded of something.

"I watched a news story about solar flares," Clark reported. "That was about the time my powers started to act up. I learned the sun was the source of my powers."

"That's true for all of you," New-Superman said, holding up his hands almost like a preacher.

While the others nodded, Clark put on a sour look. "Is that why you're here, to tell us stuff we already know?"

"Easy, Clark," Mild said as Dad held up his own gentle warning hand.

"Calm down, son," Slick said. "This is difficult for all of us."

"He could tell us what's going on!" Clark insisted angrily.

"True enough, Clark," Nerd said. "But best to keep the old temper there in check. You can't afford to lose your temper."

"That's what my dad said," Clark muttered as he bowed his head.

"Your dad was a smart man. Like mine." When Nerd-Superman said this, the other Supermen all nodded.

Slick-Superman wore an intense look. "What exactly is going on here? Has some powerful alien or group of aliens gathered us together? And for what purpose?"

"You shall soon know." The face of New Superman suddenly lit up in a way Clark considered unreal. "Once an alien had me fight alongside Abraham Lincoln against some evil people from history. It was like when Kirk and Spock fought alongside Abraham Lincoln and that great Vulcan Sarak."

"That's weird," Clark muttered.

"This whole situation is weird," Mild-Superman said.

"It is," Dad-Superman said.

"Sure is," Nerd-Clark said.

"While this is pretty weird, I can say I've had plenty of weird experiences," Dad-Superman said. "Fighting a guy from another universe, finding out Morgan Edge is a Kryptonian, watching the people of Smallville turn into a bunch of meta-humans under mind control."

Clark made a face. "I just watch them turn into meteor freaks."

"I'm not familiar with that term," Slick said.

"Neither am I," Mild said.

Dad-Superman shook his head.

"Again," New-Superman said. "Different worlds, different experiences. Once as Superboy I knocked over some chemicals in Lex Luthor's lab. As a result, he became bald, and he swore vengeance on me."

Clark made a face. "You're kidding."

"That is pretty weird," Nerd-Clark said. "My Lex Luthor tried to destroy California so he could turn Arizona land into valuable beachfront property."

Clark gave him a look. "Are you serious?"

"That's maybe the silliest thing I've ever heard," Slick said. "And believe me, I've met some pretty silly characters doing some pretty silly things."

Nerd frowned. "It's no laughing matter that Luthor put all those people in danger. People's family members were in danger."

Dad-Superman waved a cautionary hand. "Let's not discount each other's experiences," he urged.

Clark winced. "My Lex lost his hair in the meteor shower. I'm friends with Lex."

"I couldn't imagine that," Mild-Superman said as Nerd-Clark shook his head.

"I don't really have a 'Lex Luthor' where I'm from."

"You're lucky," Dad said.

"I had a lot of adventures when I was Superboy." New Superman sounded almost gleeful.

Clark gave him a look. "Who's Superboy? I know Eric Summers was called that once, but…."

"It's the public persona I adopted when I was in high school."

Clark shrugged. "I just use my powers in secret."

"That's what I did in high school," Mild-Superman said.

"Me, too," Nerd said.

"Yes," from Slick.

"I put on a hood to stop an occasional robbery."

"If I had arrived on Earth in 1976, I'd emerge as Superman in 2001."

"I suppose," Clark said uncertainly. "Who, or what, are you?"

"I teamed up with Spider-Man a couple of times."

Once again, Clark made a face. "Spider-Man?"

"Sounds ike a bad idea for a superhero," Mild said.

"Yeah. People don't like spiders." Nerd made his own kind of face "They're kind of yucky and icky."

Clark shrugged. "Maybe this Spider-Guy didn't have a choice. Just like some of the meteor freaks."

"Whoever they are," Dad-Superman murmured.

"I try not to judge a man until I've actually met him," Slick said with a grin. "My father always said things like that. He was kind of like Will Rogers."

"My dad said a lot of wise things, too," Nerd said. "What do you know? Small world once again."

"I'm with the other Superman here," Mild said. "We shouldn't judge this 'Spider-Man' till we get to know him."

As Clark nodded, Dad-Superman folded his arms over his Kryptonian emblem.

"So, Clark. I'm guessing your meteor freaks might be like my meta-humans," Dad said.

"They are."

Clark turned to New-Superman and frowned. "How do you know that?"

"I know a lot of things." New-Superman smiled pleasantly as he glanced around.

Now Clark folded his arms. "What do you know about meteor freaks?"

"I'd like to know, too," Mild said.

"Yes. Who, or what, are they?" Dad asked.

Nerd pushed up his glasses. "I'm sure they're very nice people, whatever their problems. Just friends we haven't met yet."

Slick adopted an inquiring look. "I'm always willing to be educated and enlightened. So, what can you tell us about meteor freaks, Clark?"

Clark shrugged. "They're people exposed to the green meteor rocks in Smallville. The rocks that came with my spaceship."

"I'm guessing those green meteor rocks are actually kryptonite." Slick-Superman spoke in his usual manner: calm and authoritative yet still genial.

As he crossed his arms (also in an authoritative way, with an authoritative look on his face), Slick nodded toward New-Superman. "Why aren't we more concerned about why our new friend here knows so much?"

"Well," Nerd-Clark said meekly. "I'd say this is pretty distracting for all of us, Mr. Superman, sir."

Clark lifted an eyebrow. "'Mister' Superman?"

Nerd-Clark grinned as he held up a finger. "An unusual situation shouldn't excuse bad manners."

"There's a lot to figure out here." Mild-Superman glanced around, Dad-Superman with him.

Clark glanced up and around. "What if this is some kind of insane asylum?"

"Oh! Like some kind of intergalactic or inter-dimensional Belle Reve!" New-Superman interjected enthusiastically.

"Okay," Dad-Superman said with his own annoyed/impatient look. "I'm familiar with Iron Heights. But I'm not sure I know this 'Belle Reve.'"

"It's where they lock up meteor freaks who are criminally insane," Clark said.

"Sounds like these meteor freaks aren't nice people," Nerd-Clark said. "Though they probably just need help and understanding. In any case, I don't think this is an insane asylum because none of us seem insane."

Clark glanced around at the others. "Unless you all just think you're this 'Superman' guy."

"I don't think, Clark, I know," Dad-Superman insisted.

"Same here, junior," Slick said. "I know who I am."

"Pretty sure I'm not insane, Clark," Nerd said.

"Same here," Mild said absently as he glanced around. "Whatever's going on here, there sure are a lot of monitors. What is it they're watching for?"

"You could watch all the news you want," Nerd-Clark said.

"Elvis did at Graceland. Three TV sets." At looks from the others, Mild grinned. "Perry told me. He's told me more about Elvis than I really care to know."

"There must be better things to watch," Clark said. As he looked up and around, he twirled around a little.

They fell into a silence for a while.

"Why don't you talk about Jonathan Kent?" New-Superman suggested.

Mild frowned. "What are you? Our psychiatrist?"

"It might be a good idea," Dad-Superman said.

"My father said I was intended for things greater than football," Nerd-Clark said.

"Sounds like my dad. "

"I bet your dad was a good man. Like mine."

"He was. He wouldn't let me try out for the football team, though."

"Probably just as well. What if you hurt someone?"

Clark was silent for a while then he looked around.

"This isn't some great big Belle Reve, I hope."

"You mean where we're all insane?" Mild-Superman inquired.

Slick-Superman, far from looking offended, practically beamed as he smiled, his eyes squinting up a little. He was certainly the most cheerful and jovial of the bunch. ("Jovial" had been on Clark's most recent English quiz.) Did anything get this jovial guy down? Clark wondered. Even (possibly) being in an intergalactic insane asylum didn't seem to phase the guy.

"I don't think I'm insane," Slick-Superman insisted (cheerfully, of course). He held the edges of his cape as he ambled around the room, all the while with a smile on his face.

"I wonder if you might be." Mild-Superman gave Clark a pointed look as he addressed him. "Did you maybe escape from this 'Belle Reve?'"

Clark couldn't tell if there was an edge in the guy's voice or if he was just joking. Regardless, Clark responded by raising his eyebrows in a skeptical look.

"I'm not the one wearing a weird costume."

"Don't criticize my costume," Mild-Superman objected. "My mom made it."

"Yeah. Mine, too," Dad-Superman said.

"You should never criticize someone's mother," Nerd-Clark tutted with nerdy yet cordial insistence. Once again, he adjusted his glasses. Clark rolled his eyes.

"Family is very important to me," Dad-Superman said.

"Me, too," Clark said.

"Me three," Nerd-Clark said.

"I'm sure it is. For all of you. And me as well," Slick-Superman said. "It seems that what we all have in common is the influence of Martha Kent."

"That is common for many of the Supermen on other worlds," New-Superman said.

Clark made a face. "How do you know all that?"

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe me. Not yet."

"We have a lot of things to figure out. Being suspicious of each other won't help. Our very knowledgeable friend here can act as a guide, a resource."

The others nodded reluctantly.

Slick-Superman stopped posing for a statue long enough to hold out beseeching hands. Almost like a guy in red and blue directing traffic.

"Gentlemen." He addressed them formally but casually. He then glanced back and forth sporting that charming and disarming smile. "Or should I call you 'Supermen?'"

Clark couldn't help thinking that if this guy was secretly evil and out to trick them he certainly seemed like a good guy. But wasn't that what evil did? Tried to fool you into thinking it was good?

"Call us whatever you like," Mild-Superman said with a bit of a grin.

"It's nice of you to ask," Nerd-Clark said.

"You can call me 'Clark,'" Clark said.

"Very well. Supermen. And 'Clark.'" Slick gave Clark a cordial nod.

With his own charming yet nerdy smile, Nerd-Clark turned to Clark. "You do use your powers to help people, don't you, Clark?"

"Sure. I use them in secret to help people, like I said. But I wouldn't call myself 'super.' And I sure don't wear tights."

"But you do help people?" Nerd-Clark asked.

"Yeah."

"Great! It's always nice to help people. Welcome to the brotherhood of Supermen!"

"So you haven't shown yourself to the world yet," Mild-Superman said.

"Maybe you need more training and guidance. Like my own sons," Dad-Superman said.

"Maybe. Fortunately, I've got Jonathan Kent."

"Someone else we have in common," Slick said with a smile.

"Along with Martha Kent," Mild-Superman said.

They all nodded then Nerd-Clark spoke. "After my dad had his heart attack, I left Smallville. Went up north where a crystal formed an ice fortress. My Fortress of Solitude."

"That's what my dad calls the loft in the barn."

"Really? Interesting. Anyway, the Fortress of Solitude is where I got to talk with my Kryptonian father. Or at least a computer program of him. "

"Jor-El," Clark said. "My experiences with Jor-El haven't always been that great." Once again, he adjusted his backpack. "But you guys seem okay. Like you'd be heroes even without powers."

As the others nodded and murmured their thanks, Slick-Statue Superman gave Clark a pat on the shoulder. "I'm sure it's the same with you, Clark."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Clark said. He considered for a moment. "There was a friend of mine, Whitney Fordman. He joined the Marines, even though his skin wasn't bulletproof and his bones weren't unbreakable. My dad said even if I didn't have powers he had no doubt I'd put myself in harm's way just like Whitney did."

"I believe it, son," Slick-Superman said with god cheer in his voice. "From what little I know of you."

Dad-Superman, not surprisingly, showed fatherly concern. "Are you and Whitney pretty good friends?"

"We were," Clark laughed. "Our friendship started off pretty weird. He was one of the football players who made me the Scarecrow."

Mild-Superman made a face. "The Scarecrow? You mean, like Batman's enemy, with the fear formula?"

"No," Clark said, looking a little confused. "This is where they strip you down to your boxers and hang you up on a pole in a field."

"Sounds pretty harsh," Mild-Superman said.

"I'll say," from Nerd-Clark.

"What'd you do in response?"

"Piled their pickup trucks on top of each other," Clark said with a self-satisfied smile.

"Not that I approve of vengeance," Slick-Superman said. "But that seems harmless enough."

"Just be careful, Clark," Dad-Superman said. "You can't afford to lose your temper."

"My dad said the same thing."

"I understand, though." They all turned to Nerd-Clark. "Once I gave up my powers to marry Lois, and a guy in a diner bullied me. Later I spun him around on a stool. Sent him sliding down the counter, too." At the others' looks, he added, "He didn't get hurt. Much."

"Good to hear," Dad-Superman said.

"I suppose we all act out now and then," Slick-Superman said.

"I know Batman does," Mild-Superman said.

Clark made a face. "And who is Batman?"

"The Caped Crusader. Operates out of Gotham City. Once a woman called me 'the Caped Crusader.' I said, 'That's Batman.' And once when Lois was talking real loud about me being Superman, I said, 'A little louder, Lois. They can't hear you in Gotham City.'"

"When Lois was being loud, was she in a movie theater?"

"No. We were out on the street."

"Like I said before, my Lois spends a lot of time in the shower. Uses up all the hot water."

"I know of a Clark Kent, a drifter, being bullied at a diner up north. So he made the bully's truck inaccessible."

Along with the others, Clark eyed New Superman suspiciously. "Who, or what, are you?"

"You may have guessed by now I am an android programmed with information about Superman. The various version of Superman on other worlds."

"No, I didn't guess that." In all the confusion, Clark had not thought to use his X-ray vision.

"Well, I am. And I know a Superman on another world who gave up his powers permanently to marry his Lois and have a son, Jonathan."

"Good name," Dad-Superman said.

"That Clark Kent, under another name, sold insurance."

"Not so good," Mild-Superman said.

"It's an honest living," Nerd-Clark insisted.

"Funny you know about other worlds, though," Slick said.

"It's not that unusual," Mild-Superman said. "My Lois once traveled to another world with H.G. Wells."

Clark blinked. "The H.G. Wells? The writer?"

"That's right. He became a real-life time traveler who could also travel to other worlds. Anyway, he and Lois found another Clark Kent who hadn't yet become Superman. Left him all alone over there."

"That's rough," Clark said. "How many of us are there out there?"

"It's interesting the directions one's life can go," Nerd-Clark mused.

"Gentlemen," Slick Superman said. "This is all very interesting. But we should try to understand our situation."

Dad-Superman nodded. "It seems that except for our android friend here, we all landed in Smallville and were found by the Kents."

"They didn't find me," Clark said. "I found them."

"Same here," Nerd-Clark said. "I walked out of my ship and as I was wandering around there they were. When they adopted me, my mom told everyone I was born to her cousin in North Dakota."

"Maybe the key to understanding our situation is to talk to each other just like we're doing," Mild Superman said.

"I encourage that," the android said.

They talked for a while about friends and family.

"There's Lana Lang," Clark said. "When Whitney left Smallville, he asked me to look after her."

"My Lana married someone else and had kids."

"Mine, too. Became a single mom to a son."

"Who else do you know?" the android asked. "What about Lionel Luthor?"

Clark nodded. "My parents got an adoption through Lionel Luthor. Lex's dad."

They then shared some of their exploits and adventures. At one point, Clark wrinkled up his face in a humorous frown.

"It sounds sometimes like you guys are making stuff up." "No, no, no," they insisted, waving their hands. "Either that or you have really weird lives."

Mild-Superman shot him a not-so-mild look. "Oh, yeah, Clark. Because your life is so normal with all the meteor freaks and everything."

"And you blew up the farm once?" Slick-Superman inquired.

"Not all of it. Just the storm cellar with Jor-El's ship. He was trying to make me leave Smallville."

Nerd-Clark held up a cautionary hand. "Whatever we talk about, let's be polite. Politeness is always good."

"No problem," Mild said.

"I think any criticizing we do is just in fun." Dad-Superman smiled as he waved his own hand.

"It is," Mild-Superman said with a grin. "Even if Clark here was friends with a bug boy."

A slight smile from Clark. "I might have been friends with a bug boy but the old man here is friends with a lot of weird people. Like wacky scientists and inventors. People a lot like Doc Brown."

There was now a slight smile from Slick-Superman as he folded his arms and raised his eyebrows a little. "I don't know who Doc Brown is but I think I keep pretty good company. And while I may be from a different time period, I'm not much older than you….'Junior'."

"You just seem older." Clark glanced around at the group. "You make me wonder what I'll become in the future. Like one of you?" He pointed at Nerd-Clark. "Nerdy maybe?"

"Wouldn't be so bad," Nerd-Clark said.

"Better than being a bad guy," Mild said.

"That's for sure," Dad said.

"What else can we talk about?" Slick hinted with a smile.

Mild-Superman produced an item. "Here's a picture of my Lois."

While the others gathered around, Clark looked at it.

"She's beautiful," he said. "Is she nice?"

"She can be."

"All very interesting," Slick-Superman said. 'But we really need to get serious about understanding our situation."

Clark handed back the photo which was then quickly passed around. "What do you think we should do?"

"Perhaps I can be of service," someone with a chipper voice said.

They all turned, capes whirling. Except, of course, for Clark and Nerd-Clark who dropped the Lois photo, scrambled to pick it up then quickly handed it back to Mild-Superman.

The one who spoke was a short red-haired fellow, a little person like Verne Troyer who played Mini-Me in the Austin Powers movies. Dressed in a white lab coat, he had some resemblance also to Warwick Davis, star of George Lucas' lesser-known film "Willow."

Briefly, the fellow clapped his tiny hands. As he did, he showed crooked white teeth. His face was mottled with large dark brown freckles. He lifted long skinny arms to the sky (or rather the ceiling) while lines stretched out on his lab coat and his face.

"Hello! How are you?" he shouted in a high-pitched yet raspy voice that was like a cross between E.T. and Alvin the Chipmunk. "How do you do? You are some of my very favorite Superman's! Or 'Supermen,' if I am to be grammatically correct!" With a broader smile, and more lines, he used his thumb and forefinger to make an "okay" gesture as he laughed heartily.

In a change of pace, Slick-Superman actually looked a little annoyed.

"Who are you?" he demanded with hands on hips. "The zookeeper?"

Mild-Superman had his arms folded over his chest while looking petulant. Dad-Superman struck much the same pose, except his was a look of stern disapproval as he engaged in a frozen stare with his lips curled. Clark looked annoyed as he gripped his backpack while Nerd-Clark looked mildly surprised. And maybe a little amused.

In contrast to all this, the little fellow threw back his head and laughed some more. Loudly.

"It's kind of like that 'Star Trek' episode 'The Corbomite Maneuver,'" Android Superman observed. "Where the 'threat' turns out to be that little fellow played by Clint Howard."

Clark ignored the android and his comments as he pointed to the red-haired guy.

"Let me guess. You're Clark Kent."

As the little fellow whooped with laughter, Clark cynically, and silently, observed that the red-haired fellow looked nothing like the others.

The little guy reminded Clark of someone he had a lot in common with: Cyrus Krupp Cyrus lost his parents in the meteor shower, he was an outsider at school, and he thought he was an alien. Although he wasn't, he still sacrificed himself to save some bullies.

Physically, the two could not have been more different. Whereas Clark was very tall (some would say impossibly gigantic), Cyrus was very short. Yes, even though they had the same initials.

Cyrus wasn't the only outsider Clark had befriended. There was also Kyle Tippett, who lived out in the woods with his sculpture and his mind-control powers.

Since Clark had a super-brain, he thought of all of this very quickly. Of course, Lex was another outsider he befriended. If a billionaire's son could be considered an outsider.

Finally, the little guy stopped laughing long enough to manage some words.

"Am I Clark Kent?" he shrieked. "That's a good one!" After a little more shrieking laughter, he gave his belly a gentle pat. "Far from it!"

"Whew!" he said, wiping his mottled brow. "Yes, that's very funny indeed."

As the others stared, in which even Nerd-Superman now looked quite stern, the new arrival held up long skinny arms once again as he wore a look of exuberance and joy.

"Gentlemen! Supermen! I am Lex Luthor!"