Chapter 9:
"HE DID WHAT?" – Lex shouted, incredulous: he had planned everything to its infinitesimal detail but he never thought Superman would actually surrender. It actually took him a few moments to process that new reality he didn't expect.
"Where is he?" – He asked, knowing what he had to do.
"Stryker's Island Meta-Human Prison, near Metropolis." – The secretary answered.
"I want Air Force One ready within an hour."
"Yes sir."
"And call the Prison's Director; I want to speak with him."
She woke up in next morning: she hadn't a goodnight sleep because his last words made her unease. Either way, he did make a point: it was vital to arrange evidence for Luthor's farce before a war was upon the country and Superman.
Quickly she dressed and picked her purse and a little touch in her hair, she was ready to go to the Planet. She opened the car's door and sat. She turned on the radio and the news shocked her.
"…where Superman is currently being held prisoner. According to inside sources, Superman turned himself to the authorities near the Air Force base located outside Metropolis. I remember: Superman is accused of treason and murder attempt of the President of the United States of America, Lex Luthor…"
She turned off the radio. – "Please God, tell me he didn't do it…" – frustrated, she rested her head on the wheel. Then it made perfect sense for her, the last words he said to her the night before.
She shook her head and turned the ignition of the car on and drove her car insanely fast to the Daily Planet ignoring traffic rules, red signs, jaywalks: once she arrived at the Planet she didn't even bother to wait for the elevator and took the stairs.
Rapidly, she arrived at the floor where many people were looking at the TV screens across the room: she looked into the small crowd and saw Jimmy focused on the TV.
She walked towards him and grabbed him, finally catching his attention. He realized immediately she heard the news.
"How long ago was it?"
"Seven hours ago: He's being held at Stryker's Prison."
"The hi-tech jail for the meta-humans…" – she knew well the facility as she was the only member of the press to get an exclusive story about it and still her visit was back then every restrict cue to security measures. When it came to maximum security prisons, Stryker's Island was the top notch, one of the LexCorp inventions.
She shook her head and headed to her desk where she began searching her file with the research. She knew there wasn't any time to lose if she wanted to prove his innocence but she opened the file, she didn't know where to start.
Thaddeus Killgrave was dead and Dabney Donovan was nowhere to be found and any evidence which Thaddeus claimed to have, was destroyed along with his apartment.
Jimmy came close to Lois and glanced at her monitor. – "What are you looking for?"
"Something which can show the light at the end of tunnel…" – Jimmy noticed Lois was picking up again the same matter she was investigating before the attack upon LexCorp.
"What is this have to do with Superman?" – Jimmy asked, confused.
"Everything." – She replied, flatly. She forced Jimmy to sit at her side. – "Listen, all of this is connected. Thaddeus Killgrave, the Lexcorp Attack, the attempt on Lex Luthor: Superman isn't behind the attacks. Lex is." – Jimmy glared oddly at Lois.
"Why would the President of the states of America be putting his own life at risk? And if that wasn't Superman, who was that guy?"
"Someone Lex could control: a clone." – Jimmy looked carefully at Lois: he didn't know if Lois was either mocking him or being dangerously delusional.
"Don't you think what you're saying is wishful thinking?" – She expected that kind of reaction from him: it was going to be very hard to convince anyone about what she thought when she too had doubts on her own.
"Listen Jimmy: I'm not going to ask you to believe in me, I won't but if you don't believe in me, stay out of my way and let me do my job." – She knew she sounded harsh but it was a necessary evil: either she had Jimmy fully committed, working with her or she had to let him go, not involving him anymore and do all the things by herself.
Jimmy faced moments of hesitation: he knew Luthor was no saint but actually risking his own life just to prove a point and willing go to a war sounded far fetched. Besides, he could lose his job like others colleagues. However, Lois had never let him down and had covered him in some risky situations before.
"I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt." – He stated.
"I knew you would." – She smiled.
"So what do you want me to do?" – He asked.
"Go to Star Labs and ask about cloning and if it's possible to replicate Superman's DNA." – She grabbed her purse and put all of her files into it and Jimmy observed.
"Where are you going?"
"Stryker's Prison." – She declared.
They had arrived to Dillingham, Alaska for few hours: a small and discreet team with the gold to retrieve Metallo from the ocean. The President was less than satisfied with the fact of Metallo being at the bottom of the ocean.
The team led by Dr. Alistair Krieg was at the harbor nearby the small navy ship where Metallo had been recovered and it was being subjected to tests.
His cell phone rang and he visualized who was calling him: it was his direct chief: General Sam Lane.
"Yes, general? We recovered The Metallo Unit two hours ago and we are proceeding a full scan to detect any malfunction…Well it did sustained some damage which could be related to any sort of processing malfunction…I know sir? " – suddenly part of the ship exploded leaving Alistair Krieg completely dumbfounded. He noticed a shadow coming out of the ship and landing a few meters away from him.
Alistair didn't even move, looking at it: he recognized who it was and immediately went to it, hanging up the phone.
"Metallo, what happened?" – The machine looked at him oddly.
"I know you…"- it took a few moments but finally the machine recognized him. – "Dr. Alistair Krieg…" – he grabbed Alistair by his throat. – "Your Frankstein experiment paid off…but I remember everything, I'm John Corben." – He lifted Alistair. – "Like the book, the creation kills the creator. There are 173 different ways to kill you right now. Pick one, I'm not hard to please." – Choking to death, Alistair wasn't able to speak no matter how hard he tried.
"Since you don't have ideas, I'll choose one for you." – While grabbing Alistair with one hand, Metallo ripped off violently Alistair's heart from his chest and tossed his dead body to the ocean while holding the heart with the other hand.
"I guess some people were right about me all along: I am a heartless bastard."
The Stryker's Island had only one access and that one was made by ship: a small island located in the middle of the river which divided Metropolis in two halfs. She drove to the Metropolis harbor expecting to go the prison but once the arrived at the harbor, access was denied.
"What do you mean I can't go there and make a visit?" – She asked, undignified, arms crossed.
"Sorry madam but those are the orders. No visits are allowed. " – She knew it was useless to persist but she also knew that kind of behavior had to do with one man: Lex Luthor.
Like her, many other reporters were located at the Metropolis harbor waiting any kind of news coming from the prison but nothing came of that prison except silence. She walked back to her car and lost any hope to contact at least for any time soon. Then she remembered which could help her. Immediately she grabbed her cell phone and dialed.
"Hello Jimmy? Do you still have your watch which Superman gave to you?"
"Yeah? Or your way back to the Planet, please stop by the Metropolis harbor…yeah, Bye." – She hung up and waited impatiently for Jimmy: it took an half an hour for Jimmy to arrive at the Metropolis harbor. Slightly lost, Jimmy looked around in the middle of the crowd but he only found Lois when she yelled waving at him. - "Over here!"
Curiously, Lois was a little outside the crowd of journalists, right next to her car: He ran in her direction until he reached her. – "What do you want that watch for?" – He asked, curious, handling his watch to Lois.
"I need him to listen to me." – He raised an eyebrow, slightly confused but quickly the confusion faded away. – "How was it at S.T.A.R labs?" – Lois asked as she began pressing the watch's help button.
"It looks promising…According to Professor Klein, the only thing that keeps stopping scientists from cloning is the law but Professor Klein also told that cloning someone like Superman is impossible since part of Superman's DNA is not decipherable."
"I do know what I saw and it was one hell of 3-D copy…"- She stated, looking at Jimmy, completely not convinced.
"I'll go back to the Planet and add the interview to the rest of the stuff. Is there any else would you like me to do?"
"Yes, you can. You can start digging all the Government facilities which could harbor a project like Superman cloning."
"Yeah, sure. Bye." – He turned around but stopped once Lois talked to him.
"Hey Jimmy? Thanks." – He smiled at Lois's sincere gratitude since it was something uncommon in her.
As Jimmy left the harbor, she got into the car and focused on the watch: she pressed the help button again. By then, he must have listened to the signal.
"I hope this works." – She declared hopeful. – "By now, you must have heard the signal and focused your ears to hear from where it was coming and now you are listening to me." – She paused for a second and took a deep breath, having faith he was listening to her.
"What the hell were you thinking when you turned yourself into the devil's clutches? How can I prove your innocence?" – She shook her head, slightly beaten. – "How can I do it? If you aren't here, by my side…" – The anger almost turned into despair but just for brief moments because she answered at her own question. – "…I know, I know because you chose to believe in me like I believe in you."
She raised her head and looked at her front, more decided than ever. – "Fine, …but you better make up to it when I get you a free pass out of there." – She was about to turn the ignition on when something caught her attention. More and more police reinforcements kept coming which meant something important was about to happen. Soon the entire harbor was filled by the police and a straight corridor was made the police.
"Wait, something's happening." – She declared still hoping Superman would hear her. Minutes after, the river's coast along both sides and the river itself was filled by Metropolis P.D patrols and above her head, a helicopter passed on its way to the prison.
"You've got visits, Smallville." – She declared.
It had past some hours after detention: although he had been arrested before, he perfectly knew that time was too serious. He fought crime and corruption more times he could count but then, he was on the other side like any hateful criminal, treated with anger and despise, insulted. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but the Lex Luthor's manufactured lies made sure it was going to be harder than he thought.
Alone in a large cell, restrained against the wall with arms and legs in a "X" shape for several hours, something caught his attention: Jimmy's signal watch. He used his super-audition and then something gave him some comfort: her voice. It felt so good to hear her voice once more even she was slightly mad at him for telling her that he was going to surrender to avoid a war with innocent casualties. He believed in her to show the truth: if she couldn't, nobody could. Smart, witty, intelligent, she had a smile he fell in love with: he imagined her standing right in front of him as she was talking to him. However, he stopped imaging once he heard her final words before the talk ended.
"You've got visits, Smallville."
And she wasn't wrong: minutes after, the door of his cell opened and two men appeared pointing their guns at him before he came in: Lex Luthor.
Lex smiled confident with a superiority feeling at him; with him was a woman he knew before but couldn't remember who she was. Lex looked at the two men.
"Leave!" – The two men were dumbfounded at him but respected his decision and left the cell.
Lex looked again at Superman and took two steps forward. – "Well…16 months of planning for this: Mercy…" – she opened a box which had inside several objects with different shapes and she began to bond them.
"Finally, face to face!" – Lex declared, enthusiastically. – "I remember when it all started. Do you remember? That day in Metropolis, at LexCorp…What did you say back then? Aww, right…"
"…someday you'll slip and then I'll come for you."
Superman remained silent and it didn't stop Lex. – "You slipped and I came for you."
"Isn't that the way to handle things? Like you tried with Clark Kent?" – Superman broke his silence, finally.
"Wow, Mercy, he talks." – Lex remarked sarcastically. – "Clark Kent you say?" – Lex began walking around him like the beast surrounding the prey before the final attack. – "How did you know about that? I wonder…maybe you two have been working around since the very beginning: perhaps you were his big secret after all, Naman."
Suddenly something caught Superman's attention: Jimmy's watch was again ringing.
"You can't imagine the planning I had to do just to see you right here."
"I'm flattered." – Superman remarked ironically.
"Well you should." – Finally at Lex's side, Mercy completed her task: a gun and she handle it to Lex with a clip of ammunition.
Lex redrew one bullet, a green bullet. – "you do know what this is, don't you?"
His attention was then divided: in his front, Lex held a gun with a green kryptonite bullet, the only thing which could kill him in matter of seconds but Jimmy's watch still ringing meant also problems. Suddenly he heard a major landing and heard shooting from outside.
"Kryptonite." – Superman declared, flatly.
"Is that what you call it? Interesting…" – Lex looked at the green bullet for brief moments. Then he loaded the gun and aimed at Superman. – "Now I understand what my father once said: Their home is their only poison."
Suddenly the prison's siren was heard all around and immediately two teams of security guards entered the cell and two men came close to Lex.
" , you have to leave the building. It's no longer safe for you to be here." – One of them declared. The two menhe loaded the gun and aimed at Superman. fgfgfgfwwww grabbed Lex and began dragging him out of the cell and Lex fought back and with his gun he shot the two men and then he aimed the gun to his security team.
"I'm not leaving until I finish that alien filth. I'm President of the United States! I'll do what I want." – Lex shouted, eyes wide open, angered, in a clear state of madness. He turned around to kill Superman but one of the walls of the cell collapsed throwing debris inside the cell catching Lex, Mercy and the rest of the security team.
"There was a family reunion and no one told me? I'm hurt…" – the clouds of dust wouldn't let anyone know who the unexpected guest was except for Superman.
"Metallo!" – Superman shouted.
Quickly, Metallo came close to Superman who was still restrained to one of the walls of the cell. –"You know my new nickname." – And he punched Superman right in his face. – "Hold on a second." – Metallo turned around and looked at Lex who was lay down on the ground, still conscious but dizzy opposing to the rest of the team which was unconscious.
Although shaky, Lex was able to grab his gun and aimed at Superman but Metallo was right in front of him. – "Get out of my way. I'm ordering you." – Metallo laughed at Lex's orders and grabbed him by his throat, lifted him and pressed him against the wall.
"I remember everything you did to me and so, I want you to remember me for the rest of you shorten life." – Metallo grabbed Lex right hand which was holding the gun and he smashed Lex's right hand bonding it to the gun loaded with kryptonite ammunition.
"AAAARRRRHHHRRRGGG!" – Lex yelled in pain, an unbearable pain.
"Sorry Lex but the boy scout in tights behind me needs my attention." - Then Metallo turned his attention again to Superman and once again Metallo came close to Superman. – "Where were we? Right…" – He began punching Superman repeatedly until he had his hand full of blood.
"This is no fun…" – Metallo ripped the restraints which held Superman and then he grabbed Superman who was dizzy from the consecutive punched he suffered. With a right hook, Metallo punched Superman throwing him away, smashing several walls stopping only at the main hall of the prison.
Metallo ran through the holes of the walls until he reached the main hall where he saw Superman on his knees, trembling. Confident he walked to Superman but the security teams from prison attacked him, shooting him. Although they tried hard, the attacks were ineffective, bullets bouncing of them and he looked at them: He grabbed a forgotten gun on the floor and began shooting at the guards, killing them one by one.
"Finally, some peace and quiet." – He declared, teasing, after shooting at all the guards who opposed him. He came close to Superman and walked around him. – "You know, there's something I've been to ask you since I left Alaska, hours ago: Are you Schizophrenic? Multiple personality disorder?"
Still slightly dizzy, Superman looked at him confused and Metallo understood his confusion and continued. – "Superman, Charles King, Clark Kent…how many are inside that head of yours?" – Superman looked at him, eyes wide opened, surprised about Metallo's revelation and Metallo comprehended it.
"Oh yes!...I know: although I'm a tin man now, my memory files don't fail me. I remember our first round back in Alaska: now it's time for round two!" – Metallo kicked Superman, tossing him again, smashing another wall where was on the other side a gas tank deposit. Convinced about Superman's no escape, Metallo walked normally to Superman but once he arrived at the gas tank Superman was nowhere to be found.
"Don't make me say the cliché: You can run but you can't hide." – He took two steps forward to see where Superman was but nothing.
"You talk too much." – A voice declared which Metallo recognized immediately: he turned around to see Superman already using his heat vision and the gas tank exploded causing a massive explosion, throwing Metallo away, to outside the prison, falling into the river.
Superman knew he had a window opportunity but he still hesitated: he knew if he stayed, Lex would kill him but if he ran away, a war would start. There was no time left for more hesitations: His powers were at minimum and at any minute Metallo would return.
He looked up to the sky and leap in a single bound to river to avoid the Metropolis P.D was patrolling the river's coasts and also Metallo: he fell into the water vanishing in the deeps of the river.
Mercy woke up only to see Lex in a fetal position, in pain for his crushed hand.
"I need medical attention!" – She yelled, in despair: She fell on her knees next to Lex and held him.
"Mercy…" - he tried to articulate some words but the pain was almost unbearable. – "…I want him…I want Superman…dead or alive…1 billion dollars reward…"
"I got it Lex: now rest…"
"Mercy?..."
"Yes?" – She asked, seeing the rage in his eyes.
"I prefer him dead."
To be continued…