Superman: Mythos #7 "Nobody"
"Astounding…" the High Seer spoke, the entire royal court of Naltor sharing collectively in her awe. Each and every one of them were captivated by the Man of Steel's perilous tale, not merely by the events told, but the way in which he spoke of them. His voice carried in a preeminent tone, at a crossroads between commanding and melodious. And although Clark never saw himself as much of a poet, he thought it wasn't half bad. As such, he managed to completely captivate his audience throughout the course of their meal. Of course, he didn't tell them everything. Despite being on a distant alien planet, he still didn't want his secret identity revealed, so he skimmed out on a few of the finer details. The Naltorians didn't seem to mind, they were much more enthralled with the epic battles he fought anyhow.
"Please, Kal El, continue," Aretea pleaded as the main course of their feast arrived. Servants came into the dining hall from every corner, each carrying parts of what appeared to be some kind of alien boar. Slices of the beasts were then passed around, firstly to Clark. Looking down at the strange meal, he couldn't help but lick his lips as the smell of pork wafted off the meat. Clark waited for the rest of the guests to receive their slices before digging in himself and to his surprise, it was quite delicious. Though he could not tell if that was because he hadn't had a proper meal in over a month, or if he truly did have a taste for alien pork.
"Tell us," the High Seer continued, more interested in Clark's story than the steaming meal on the plate before her. "After you vanquished the green siren, what happened? Did you punish the Supergirl for her incompetence?"
"Punish her? No, of course not," Clark said after gulping down a chunk of pork along with a hefty sip of wine. "We just, talked…"
One Month Earlier
Clark tossed the last of Kara's luggage into the back seat of Pa's pickup. He wiped his hands and turned to see her hugging Ma goodbye on the porch steps. She then skipped her away over to Clark with Pa following behind. Kara's skip turned into a low hover as she collided with Clark, wrapping her arms around him in super-hug. He was taken aback slightly but quickly returned the embrace. The two held each other while Pa came up beside them both and rested his hands on their shoulders. All three shared a smile as the morning sun gleamed over the amber waves of the Kent Farm.
"Love you, Kal," Kara said, "Stay safe out there. Don't go needing my rescuing, kay?"
"Love you too, Kara," Clark said, patting her head. "But remember our deal?"
"'Course I do," Kara said, slightly annoyed, having gone over their deal a dozen times already. "No Supergirling until I'm done with midterms."
"Good, and don't even look at the Metropolis news or read the papers," Clark said, his finger pointing down at her. "I will handle it. And if not me, someone from the League will be more than happy to help out."
"Don't worry about it, cuz. You think I even read Clark Kent's columns in the Planet? Your prose is so damn flowery," Kara teased.
"She's gotta point, kiddo!" Jonathan said with a laugh, giving Clark a slap on the back. "You're not nearly as sharp and witty as that Lane gal is."
"Thanks, Pa…" Clark said, shaking his head in his palm to hide a reddened face.
"Well then, Kar, should we hit the road? That way we can make it to Stanhope before sundown," Pa said, making his way towards the driver's side.
"Sure thing, Pa!" Kara said, giving Clark one last hug before soaring her way into the pickup.
Clark shook his head with a smile, backing up as they pulled out of the driveway. He continued to wave goodbye until the pickup turned onto the main road and drove out of sight. He then turned and made his way back to the house.
"Will you be staying for lunch, Clark dear?" Ma asked as Clark entered through the rattling screen door. She was already back in the kitchen, even after preparing breakfast for everyone earlier that morning.
"That's alright, Ma," Clark replied, entering the thin hallway beside the stairs where a rotary telephone was mounted on the wall. "I'm just going to make a quick call then I'll be heading back to the city," he said, grabbing the phone and dialing away on the circular switchboard. It was a number he'd made sure to memorize by heart. Nearly every ring passed by before someone finally picked up on the other end.
"Lois Lane, Daily Planet," a fast-talking voice chimed in through the speakers. The tone of her voice indicated she was already preoccupied with a dozen other things on top of this call.
"H-hey there, Lois," Clark spoke, casting a veil of meekness over his voice. "It's me, Clark."
"Well, hey yourself, Smallville," Lois said, her tone notably growing warmer and more focused on him. "How are the folks?"
"They're doing great, thanks," Clark responded. "Say, Lois, mind doing me a favor. I'm working on something down here and I could use your help."
"Working on vacation? See Clark, this is why I don't do vacation," Lois said with a laugh. "But go ahead Smallville, hit me. Consider this me repaying you for all those lunches."
"A-and a few dinners," Clark added, not wanting to discount the handful of actual dates they'd been on, that didn't fall strictly into the 'lunch break' category.
"Yeah, yeah," Lois said, brushing it off. "So, what is it?"
"Have you ever heard of a company called Lotus Co.?" Clark asked, his voice simmering down to a whisper, despite the only other person around being his mother.
"Lotus Co. huh… Sounds familiar…" Lois pondered while the loud clacking sound of typing began chiming in through the phone. "Aha! Here we are. Get this, it was a small pharmaceutical start-up. Allegedly, they continued the abandoned work of known felon, Dr. Jason Woodrue, in order to produce an experimental new line of medical drugs. Drugs whose chemicals were derived primarily from the titular Lotus flower. Though it looks like due to the drug's hallucinogenic effect, it became fairly popular in the recreational scene."
"Hmm, that sounds about right," Clark said, pondering the information. "Anything else?"
"That might be about it…" Lois said. "Wait. Hold on… Oh, you gotta be kidding me…"
Clark's eyes widened. "What? What is it?"
"In April of last year, Lotus Co. and all of its assets were bought for an undisclosed price. The company now serves as a subsidiary in LexCorp's biotechnology division," Lois revealed.
Clark nearly dropped the phone, taking a moment to regain his composure. "Where? Where are they based out off?"
"Easy there, Smallville. Give me a second," Lois said, followed by more aggressive typing. "Here we are: LexCorp doesn't offer any further information, but their original base of operations before the buyout was located off the eastern coast of Sicily. A place called the Cyclopean Isles. Willing to bet LexCorp didn't bother moving their assets, so they're probably still there."
"Gee, Lois. Thanks a bunch," Clark said while he scribbled down the last of the information on his notepad.
"Don't mention it," Lois replied. "But don't go writing a bigger story than mine, you hear?"
"With your monopoly on Superman coverage? How could I compete?" Clark said with a laugh. "Anyways Lois, I'll see you next week."
"You better," Lois said. "Not sure how much longer I can last alone between Perry's grumpiness and Jimmy's buffoonery."
"Haha, don't worry," Clark replied. "I'll be there to save you…"
With that, the two shared their goodbyes and Clark gently hung up the phone with a sigh. He then looked up and was a bit startled to see his mother standing in the hallway with him, leaning up against the wall with a smirk.
"You love her, don't you?" Ma said, in her signature knowing tone. In a way, she had X-ray vision of her own, able to see right through Clark's many layers and dig deep at his core, his heart.
Clark smiled and shook his head. "I'm stupid to, aren't I? I mean, with what I do, what I am… I wouldn't dare share such weight with someone else, a weight even I struggle to carry alone."
"Then don't," Ma said, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Don't carry it alone. Besides, you already have us, and Kara, and all those Super Friends of yours. We'll support you every step of the way."
"Thanks, Ma," Clark whispered, clasping his arms around his mother. "But I don't think she's ready yet… I'm not ready yet…"
After saying goodbye to his mother, Clark left the homestead. He passed his car parked in the driveway and instead ventured out into the wide fields of grain. He walked in silence through the wheat, running his hand along the many spikes as they rose and dipped. He soon came to a small grassy hill that peaked above the sea of farmland. Atop it sat a lonesome tree, with an old tire swing hanging down from one of its branches. Clark sighed, bringing his hand to the rough bark of the elder oak. He then began to unbutton his flannel, slowly revealing his suit beneath. After taking them off, he folded his clothes and set them beneath the shade, before looking out across the Kent Farm once more. His cape, now unfolded, billowed behind him in the wind. He smiled, though in the back of his mind, he was worried.
In a blink of an eye, he was gone. He soared up high into the sky and directed himself eastward through the clouds. A thundering boom followed his breaking of the sound barrier, enabling him to speed across the country in a matter of minutes. Before long, he was venturing across the great blue Atlantic, kicking up a powerful wake in the water below. He soon passed through the Strait of Gibraltar and entered the warm, glistening Mediterranean Sea. His swift journey across the world came to a halt when he spotted the bright, sunny Italian island of Sicily below. He began his descent towards the eastern coastline of the large island and quickly found the handful of rocky islets known as the Cyclopean Isles. As he lowered closer, he raised his brow, finding nothing too impressive lining the surface of the main isle. It contained a boathouse and dock area near the water and a small building at the peak of the island which appeared to serve as a subpar sightseeing location. Nowhere did it appear to be the headquarters of a drug manufacturing plant.
Clark then activated his X-ray vision to peer below the surface of the island. And to his lack of surprise, he saw a dozen underground rooms whose walls were all lead-lined, a LexCorp design staple. Clark searched for a proper entrance, seeing that a lead-lined hall appeared to empty out near a natural cave on the side of a coastal cliff face. He hovered around the island coastline until coming upon the darkened cave entrance. He set his feet down upon the rocky terrain and slowly entered into the maw.
Upon entering, he was expecting to be greeted with high-tech security, instead, it just appeared to be a normal cave. An extremely dark cave at that, not even his enhanced vision could penetrate the sheer blackness of it. Clark strode on, nearly blind, but he could still make out the lead walls of the hallway not much further away. It must have been situated at the very end of the ancient cave.
Clank! "Grrrr…" Noises sounded from within the darkness, echoing across the moist rocky walls.
Clark stopped in his tracks and addressed the void. "Hello? Is anyone there?"
"Nobody am here, Superman…" a ghastly, gargling voice called out.
Suddenly, a bright blue beam lit up the darkness and struck Clark in the shoulder, freezing it in place with a chunk of materialized ice. Clark turned in time to see a familiar stoney white face emerging from the shadows.
"Nobody except, Bizarro!" the hulking monster of a man cried, as he threw a heavy punch toward the stunned Man of Steel. Clark managed to position himself so that Bizarro's fist collided with the chunk of ice over his shoulder. The ice shattered upon impact, with shards piercing Bizarro's hand. He roared with anger as he stumbled backward. Clark brushed off his shoulder and placed his hands on his hips, looking down at the poor creature he'd fought so many times before.
"Stand down, Bizarro. I know Luthor sent you," Clark tried to reason. "You don't have to fight for him."
"Bizarro am always stand down! Bizarro fight for nobody, but himself! Bizarro fight for lies, injustice, and the Bizarro way!" He roared, before opening wide and letting a slew of fire pour forth from his mouth. Clark recoiled and knelt to the ground as his body became engulfed in relentless flame. He soon managed to reach up with his open hand and block the fiery stream, pushing it back until he grabbed hold of Bizarro's face, covering his mouth with his palm. Bizarro's cheeks bloated and his eyes widened before his face became consumed in a flaming ball of his own making.
Clark stumbled back and shook the soot off his charred hand, while Bizarro fell backward onto the cave floor. Clark was quick to fly over and plant his foot onto Bizarro's chest, holding him to the ground.
"Give it up, Bizarro. Stop this and let's work something out here. I don't want to hurt you," Clark pleaded while Bizarro struggled and clawed at his leg as he remained pinned to the cave floor.
"It's pointless to try and reason with the beast, is it not?" A voice chimed in over a loudspeaker. The suave, overconfident tone was immediately recognizable, it was none other than Lex Luthor. Clark's head swiveled, trying to look for the source of the voice, but it appeared to reverberate all throughout the cave.
"Luthor…" Clark muttered. "Whatever it is you're planning Lex, it won't work. I suggest you surrender now, starting with the release of Bizarro fro-"
"Ah! I'm going to stop you right there," Lex interrupted. "While I'd love to debate the nonsense you've likely just uttered, I'm much too busy at the moment. You see Superman, this is a recorded message. Much like the one's daddy left for you up north."
Clark clenched his fists, before looking down at Bizarro who was giggling like a child.
"Normally, I wouldn't have wasted my time with such a matter. However, I've calculated that this might be the last time we speak. Don't bother with the how or why, it won't be worth the effort. Trust me, you'll need all the effort you can get soon. Anyways, consider this our final farewell, Superman…" The recording paused for a moment. "Blue Sun."
The cave responded to Luthor's final two words by igniting in a piercing neon blue light. The pure darkness instantly became starkly bright, the light emanating from long fluorescent bulbs that lined the cave's ceiling. The sudden shift stunned Clark at first, but only for a moment. Although a moment was just enough to allow Bizarro to grab hold of Clark's ankle and swing his entire body against the wall. The entire cave shook upon Clark's body indenting into the rocky surface. It was then Clark realized that this wasn't ordinary blue light. He felt the unique and powerful molecules bouncing off his skin, they were nuclear in nature. They were artificial UV light rays, meant to simulate the radiation of a blue sun.
Clark managed to return to his feet and shake off the blow, only to receive another straight to the face. Bizarro's fist collided with his chin with exponentially more force than he should have been capable of. Clark's body was again forced back into the cave wall, this time causing shards of rubble to rain down from above.
"Bizarro, please! Luthor's manipulating you! The blue sun; it makes you stronger, but exposed radiation, it will kill you! And Luthor knows it! He's killing us both with one stone!" Clark cried, blood spitting from his lips.
"Bizarro am not care what Superman say. Luthor's blue make Bizarro strong, Bizarro like being strong. Bizarro stronger than Superman," Bizarro droned, while picking up a large chunk of fallen rubble. He held the boulder high above his head, preparing to smash it down onto Clark.
Clark was too weak to move, his body still lodged inside the cave wall. Unable to avoid Bizarro's attack, he instead sent forth a beam of heat vision. The beam sliced the rock in two just as Bizarro was forcing it down upon him. Then, when the laser finished cutting through the boulder, it struck Bizarro directly in the eyes. Bizarro screamed in pain, the blast forcing him to drop the two halves of rock and clutch his steaming face. Clark then managed to free himself from the cave wall and assumed a readied stance before the powered-up Bizarro.
Bizarro removed his hands from his face and Clark saw his swollen, ash-covered eyes. Bizarro roared, fire leaking from his mouth as he reared back for another punch. Clark dodged, but he hardly needed to, Bizarro's fist missed him entirely and slammed into the side of the cave. The cave shook, more and more debris falling from the crumbling ceiling. The quaking caused some of the blue UV bulbs to burst as a result. The blinded Bizarro removed his hand from the wall and lumbered into another strike. He slammed both his fists to the ground, causing a minor tremor. Again the attack missed Clark, but all around him and Bizarro, the cave was collapsing in on itself.
"Stop this Bizarro! You'll bury us both!" Clark cried, glancing behind his shoulder, seeing the dim light of the exit only a few yards away.
Bizarro responded with an angry roar into the air, pouring forth fire that engulfed the cave ceiling in bright red flame, taking out the last of the blue lights. He then devolved into violent thrashing, his random strikes colliding with the crumbling cave, sending bigger and bigger pieces to the ground.
Clark realized there was no arguing with the beastly Superman, at least not in his current state. His only recourse was to make it out of the cave before he brought it down upon them. Clark turned and stumbled into a sprint towards the light of the exit. He soon leaped into the air and flew as fast as he could despite his injuries. Just as he came to the exit, a giant boulder collapsed in front of him. He rushed through it, breaking through with relative ease, but it was enough to slow him down. He managed to reach his arm out into the light before the entirety of the cave came crashing down onto his body. Clark shouted out in pain, but his voice was quickly silenced by the rubble.
Clark held out his right hand, the only part of him not covered. He reached for something, anything, but nothing was there. He felt his consciousness fading. The unbelievable weight of an island was on top of him and he could feel every inch of it. All of it, pressing down on him as if he were another rock in the pile. While it was too dark to see, an even blacker darkness began to overtake his vision.
Then, just when he was on the precipice of blacking out, he felt the warm, smooth touch of a hand grasp onto his. Their fingers wrapped around his wrist and before long, they pulled him forth from the rubble. Clark, covered in dust and debris, fell to his knees and then to his back as he panted for breath. He cracked open his eyes and was blinded by the harsh yellow sun, but the light was quickly obscured by a figure standing over him.
As his vision adjusted he saw her. He saw her smile, her long dark hair, and her golden tiara. Her presence irradiated power and beauty. It was enough to make Clark forget the pain he was in and smile back. He opened his mouth to speak, but coughed up a lung of dust before he could get a word in. So he merely mumbled, "Diana?..." before passing out.