Meanwhile...
Conner stared out into the city from a room of his home.
"I think I'm gonna go see Conner." Mo told Gloriosa and Timber.
"All right, just watch out," Gloriosa advised. "He's a bit steamed."
"I will." Mo nodded before going to see Conner.
"She's a good girl." Gloriosa smiled at her brother.
"She is," Timber sighed. "I just wish we could give her a better home than this. Why did we have to lose Mom and Dad?"
"I don't know." Gloriosa frowned.
As Mo made her way to Conner, she saw Lois.
"Ms. Lane?" she then asked. "What are you doing here?"
"I thought I'd speak with... Um... Superboy..." Lois said to her.
"Heh, I think I should too," Mo replied. "I'm sensing some sort of trouble within him... Like he's going through some sort of pain."
The two of them soon went inside the room Conner was in.
Conner felt angry before they came in fully and before he saw them as he looked a bit peeved. "We both know you took me down there to get rid of Superboy for good," he then glared sharply. "I don't know what changed your mind, but-" he then continued before he looked over to see that it wasn't Lex.
"Conner, it's okay," Mo said as he soon turned around to see her and Lois. "It's just me and that newspaper lady."
"Let me guess; you thought we were Lex Luthor." Lois replied to Conner.
Conner looked at the two and glanced away from that question and also made sure Lex wasn't there either.
"Lookin' for ol' Cue Ball," Lois then told Conner. "Know where he is, Superboy?"
"Don't call me that!" Conner glared sharply before he sat down.
"What's wrong?" Lois asked him as she sat next to him.
Mo frowned as she felt like Conner was in an unhappy mood.
"He's my father," Conner said softly about Superman. "At least, he's half my DNA. I just found out."
"Nah, I don't buy it," Lois replied. "I mean, the hair alone."
Conner glanced at her before looking down at the floor before Mo sat on the other side with a small smile.
"Wow. You do look like him," Lois commented. "Superman, I mean."
Conner smiled softly to Lois.
"She has a bit of a point." Mo added to Conner.
"Look, I was a jerk when I met you, Lois," Conner soon said. "I'm sorry. I don't know why, but I feel like I can talk to you. Besides Mo of course, we've been close ever since I first met her."
"Brings me somewhat some kind of happiness in LexCorp." Mo added.
Lois looked soft from what Conner said about them able to talk to each other. "I know why." she then said to him as she looked away distantly.
Lois's cell phone soon vibrated in her pants pocket.
"You better get that." Mo suggested.
Lois nodded as she checked her phone.
"I guess I'm fine as long as I have you." Conner said to Mo.
"I feel the same way," Mo smiled. "I'm sure Gloriosa and Timber do too."
Conner smiled back.
Lois soon answered the phone call. "Yeah?"
"Eradicator's gathering up Apokolips' tech," Steel's voice replied. "He could be working with Henshaw. I'm tracking him now with Superboy and Superdog."
"All right," Lois nodded. "Keep me posted." She soon hung up.
Steel, Superboy, and Superdog were soon seen flying in a cold area. Superdog looked a bit wide-eyed once they landed on the ground and saw a sort of an ice-like building.
"The Fortress of Solitude..." Superboy whispered to himself before they went to come inside.
Steel soon walked in with them as they came to explore once they came inside.
"Why would the Eradicator bring the Apokalips devices here?" Superdog asked Superboy.
"That's a good question... I'm sure there's a bit of a despicable answer." Superboy replied as they walked closer as Steel walked ahead of them.
The red-eyed Superman seemed to be resting as Steel walked over with Superboy and Superdog, only to be stopped by an android.
"Greetings." The android greeted.
"Uh, greetings?" Steel replied.
"Kal-El is unavailable as he nears completion of his revitalization cycle," The android informed. "Thank you for your patience."
"Kal-El. So it really is you." Steel said as he looked at the Eradicator.
Superboy had a feeling that the Eradicator would attack and decided to step forward to handle him. And so he did. "Steel, let me handle this," Superboy glared as he stepped in. "I'll take care of him."
"Just be careful." Steel advised.
"No problem." Superboy smirked.
The Eradicator soon hit Superboy with an uppercut.
"Oof!" Superboy grunted before glaring. "Oh, is that all you got?"
The Eradicator soon came to Superdog and Steel next. Superboy soon jumped down and punched the Eradicator out of the way and smacked him into the wall as he stood protectively in front of Steel and Superdog. The Eradicator glared as he looked ready to fight Superboy until he wouldn't get back up so he would get to the other two. Superboy glared as he got ready to fight and looked quite intense and brutally serious like when he first joined the Justice League with his friends.
Meanwhile, Lois checked her phone as she stood around with Mo and Conner before she began to look and feel concerned.
"Maybe you should check and see how things are going." Mo suggested to Conner.
"I think you're right," Conner replied. "What about you?"
"Don't worry about me," Mo reassured. "You go do what you do best, who cares what Lex says?"
"Whoa! Steel!" Lois gasped. "What's happening?"
"Little busy here, Lois." Steel replied as he began to fly off as the Eradicator tried to fly after him.
Superboy soon grabbed the Eradicator by his cape with a growl.
"You called me." Lois told the Robot Superman.
"Sorry. Butt dialed." Steel told her.
"Classy." Superboy deadpanned as he grabbed the Eradicator and spun him around by his cape before throwing him out and making him hit another wall.
The Eradicator growled as his eyes flashed a brighter red before he came zipping right back to tackle Superboy into the ground. Superdog soon tackled on top of the Eradicator to get him off of Superboy.
"Good dog." Superboy smiled.
The Eradicator soon body-slammed Superdog off, making the white Lab whimper in pain.
"Oof." Superboy winced as that looked painful.
The Eradicator soon kicked down on Superdog's face before kicking him right into a pillar as Steel got back up. Superboy glared at the Eradicator before using his crystal power to attack him. The Eradicator dodged the crystal spikes as much as possible.
"Whoa..." Superdog blinked. "You have crystal power?"
"That's kind of a long story." Superboy replied.
A crystal fist soon formed from the ground and hit the Eradicator before grabbing him like a toy.
"Whoa... I didn't know I could do that." Superboy chuckled.
"Well, don't hog all of him." Steel smirked as he brought out his hammer.
"Alright, alright." Superboy smirked back as he made the crystal hand throw Eradicator at Steel so he could hit him with his hammer.
The Eradicator still glared, but he didn't do much of anything as he didn't have time to react as Steel struck him instantly with his hammer, sending him flying.
"It's out of the park!" Superdog laughed at that as it was like a baseball game now.
Eradicator soon crashed into a wall of the Fortress of Solitude.
"Nice one." Superboy smiled.
"Hey, I'm just doing my job as Superman." Steel smirked.
Conner, Mo, and Lois were watching what was happening on Lois's phone as Conner got ready to go, but they soon had some company.
"What the hell is going on here?" Lex glared before he took Lois's phone away. "Give me that!"
"No, wait!" Lois told him.
It was too late though. Lex soon put down Lois's phone and began to trace the footage as Eradicator did what he could to beat down Steel, Superdog, and Superboy, but he seemed to be losing from their combined efforts of teamwork.
"Is that?" Lex asked as they saw Superman's ship.
"Kal-El's ship!" Lois gasped as she recognized the ship. "In S.T.A.R. Labs."
"He needs help," Conner spoke up as he began to walk off. "I'm going."
"Way to go, Conner." Mo smiled proudly.
Unfortunately, Lex stopped Conner from leaving. "No. These cyborg thingies are popping up all over the city," he then told the boy. "It's gonna take a turn and I need you here."
"You're not the boss of me, Lex." Conner glowered.
"I literally am." Lex retorted as he pointed at the LexCorp logo on Conner's jacket.
'He's got Conner there,' Mo thought to herself. 'But he has a choice and that logo is the answer: either to keep it on or tear it off.'
Back at the Fortress, the Eradicator refused to quit while facing Steel, Superboy, and Superdog.
"You cannot harm the data matrix." The Eradicator glared at his opponents.
"The data matrix?" Lois and Mo asked each other curiously.
As Superboy punched the Eradicator over and over he soon began to look less Kryptonian and more holographic.
"John! It's a hologram!" Lois gasped as that gave her an idea. "It's designed to protect Kryptonians."
"I don't see any Kryptonians around here," Steel replied as he and Superboy tried to keep up. "Do you?"
Lois took a look before she soon saw a spaceship. "Oh, my God! John, he's-"
The Eradicator soon punched right at Superdog, who luckily got away in time, but the punch landed on the screen which cut out the video footage into static. Conner was soon heard flying out as the two window doors were seen opened.
"Go, Conner, go!" Mo called out.
Lex looked very angry from that, especially since Conner ripped the logo off of his jacket like Mo suggested.
Meanwhile with Cyborg Superman and Sombra...
The followers were flying all around as they were manipulated by the power of Cyborg Superman and Sombra.
"These pitiful humans. Humbled by the demise of their heroes, have willingly become mindless automatons," Sombra grinned darkly as he sat in a throne while Hank was bowing before him. "My stratagem has worked perfectly. Soon, Earth will be christened by King Sombra as new Apokolips. And this time, there's no Justice League or Superman to stop me. All that remains is for you to open the gates."
The followers were seen patrolling the city and making sure that there was no traffic. Jessica, along with some others from town, were hiding away from the followers as they were the only ones not brainwashed by the new Justice League made by Cyborg Superman.
"All you gotta do is look out the window to see things ain't right no more," Bibbo told the people who accompanied him. "I knew Superman. Superman was my pal. And those things ain't Supermen."
"They're not even the people they used to be." Becky frowned.
"I mean, at least they're keeping the peace, right?" One man spoke up with a shrug, sitting next to Jimmy.
"That's not gonna last." Jessica shook her head.
"That kid's right," Bibbo agreed. "We can't wait until after this thing takes a turn for the worse. By then, it'll be too late!" he then added a quote from Cyborg Superman. "The robot said one thing right. He said, 'We gotta be our own heroes'."
Jessica nodded from that as Hilda and Zelda also looked concerned.
A woman soon checked her phone. "People are protesting down at the Watchtower," she then told the others. "Getting to be quite a crowd."
"What are we waiting for?" Bibbo asked. "Together, we may not bring the beat down, but we sure as hell can make some noise, alright?"
"Mm..." Hilda and Zelda both nodded.
The others soon began to smile in agreement.
Meanwhile, the group was at the gym again, but they were sitting and taking a break, without Atticus of course.
"So what should we do next?" Thor asked.
"Can't we just stop for a minute?" Cherry groaned. "I think I can taste my spine."
"Come on, guys, we have an army to build up against that Cyborg Psychoman." Thor replied.
"I have to agree with Cherry, Storm Cloud," Lionel spoke up as he looked a little dizzy. "I think we should call it a night."
Cherry's cell phone was soon going off, informing her about something.
"Are you gonna get that?" Mo asked Cherry.
"Ugh..." Cherry groaned before slamming her fist on the rubber mat that she was lying on and her phone soon sprung up in the air and landed on her chest as she picked up the phone to answer it. "This better be good." She soon got the news of what everyone in Metropolis was doing at The Watchtower and couldn't help, but smirk.
"What is it?" Thor asked, flopping right down next to her on the mat, making her hop up briefly off of the floor with a startled yelp before she then landed.
"See for yourself." Cherry smirked as she held out her phone for him to see.
It was a report that everyone was protesting down at The Watchtower.
"Hmm... I guess we could take a break to check that out..." Thor replied thoughtfully.
"Come on then," Mo said. "We'll get back to work later. Let's see this up close."
"Okay... I'm just having a hard time moving..." Cherry replied.
"No problem!" Thor said before he grabbed Cherry to put her over his shoulder before grabbing Lionel to make him sit on the other. "Let's get to town!"
"Yeah!" Lionel cheered.
Cherry groaned as she was suddenly pulled like that.
"Let's go!" Thor grinned before snapping his fingers and brought them all back into the Mortal Realm.
As they arrived, they made it to the Watchtower where there were very angry citizens who were mad at Cyborg Superman and his followers as their town was going to Hell.
Meanwhile, back at the Fortress of Solitude...
The Eradicator continued to attack while Steel, Superboy, and Superdog did whatever they could to protect themselves. Steel hit the Eradicator with his hammer a few times before he was suddenly lunged out in flight. Superboy soon grabbed the Eradicator and flung him by his shoulders into the air and tried to shoot laser-eyes at him. Superdog flew over to where the ship was as that belonged to his first owner while Superboy and Steel handled the Eradicator. The Eradicator soon crashed through another pillar as Steel and Superboy zoomed right back. Steel and Superboy tried to get some hits in before the Eradicator suddenly shot them away with an energy blast from the hand.
"Kal-El...?" Superdog whispered to himself as he came to the ship like he could sense something and where his nose told him that Superman was inside the ship. "It is him," The White Lab smiled before looking over at Superboy. "Atticus, he's here! He's really here! He's inside the ship!"
Superboy paused as he got some free space before looking over. "What'd you say?" he then asked.
"Someone very special is in here!" Superdog smiled.
"...You mean...?" Superboy got wide-eyed and hopeful.
Superdog nodded.
"I... I can't believe it..." Superboy said emotionally. "Can... Can it be?"
"Yes, it can be, he's inside that ship." Superdog smiled.
"Hey, you okay, kid?" Steel asked Superboy.
"Huh? Oh, I... I guess I just..." Superboy said softly.
The Eradicator soon punched both of them away, making them skid in the middle of the floor.
"Ugh... That was not cool..." Superboy groaned.
Another blast soon hit while Superdog waited by the ship nervously.
"Dad, if that's really you, I just wanna say... I'm sorry what happened between you, Diana, and Lois..." Superboy said weakly. "I just wanna see you again so you can see how much I miss you... You may not be my real father, but you were always the best father I've ever had so far and I love you very much."
One of Superman's hands began to move as he heard everything Superboy said.
The Eradicator soon came out to Steel and Superboy before grabbing them both to punch them down. "Intruders must be-" he then told them, about to finish them off.
"That's enough!" A voice called.
The three soon looked over while Superdog looked so happy and excited as Superman came out, wearing a black super suit, though his hair was a lot longer and he looked like he hadn't shaved in a while. Superboy and Steel both looked shocked, though Superboy was a lot more relieved and very happy at who he saw.
Meanwhile at LexCorp...
"Steel stopped transmitting. I can't find a signal," Lex said to Lois as he was on the computer. "Even after redirecting every LexCorp satellite. So, do you really think Kal-El is alive?" he then asked.
"I don't know, but, for the first time, I really feel like it's possible," Lois replied softly.
"I hope he is," Lex said softly from that before he soon typed something into the keyboard. "Now, there's something you need to see."
A file soon opened up to show Sombra on his throne. Mo let out a small gasp once she saw Sombra. Lois also looked wide-eyed.
Back at the Fortress of Solitude...
"Superboy..." Superman called. "Come give your Superdad a hug."
Superboy got free and rushed to Superman, limping slightly as he hugged him good and tight as some tears streamed down his face. "I'm so happy that you're alive." The orphan boy smiled as he tightened his grip slightly.
"It's really good to see you again," Superman smiled back. "And I understand your anger from before I came back."
Superboy wiped his eyes with a bit of a sniffle, but kept his smile, albeit a bit sad.
"It's really you, isn't it?" John asked the formerly deceased Man of Steel. "How?"
"Honestly, I don't know," Superman replied. "The robots keep calling it a revitalization cycle, but it's not something I'd ever heard of or knew was possible."
The two robots began to fix the damages on John's suit.
"What is this place?" John asked.
"A fortress," Superman replied. "Built to keep me isolated during this process."
"Does he have to just stand there like that?" Superboy asked as he glanced at the Eradicator.
"Yeah... It's creepin' me out." John added.
"He's just trying to protect me." Superman defended.
"Then why was he drawing energy from you while you were in the pod?" Superboy asked as Superdog looked just as curious.
"Quite the reverse," One of the androids informed. "Kal-El was the one absorbing ion radiation from the Eradicator as part of the revitalization cycle."
"Highly advanced tech programmed to protect my people." Superman added.
"So he decides to put on a cape and dispends his own brand of justice?" John asked while pointing at the Eradicator.
Superman raised an eyebrow to that.
"I think you wanna see who's talking." Superboy couldn't help but smirk at that as he gestured to his own cape.
"...I'm just sayin'." John then said sheepishly.
The robots soon stopped as they finished repairing John's suit.
"Good as new, Dr. Irons." Superboy smiled at John.
"Well, I can't tell you how glad I am to see you again." John said to Superman as he turned back into Steel.
"He's right," Superboy added. "There's a lot you need to know."
"These news broadcasts have brought me up to speed, Sombra killed my friends and people have been turned into monsters by that Cyborg imposter." Superman said.
"That would be Hank Henshaw." Superboy told him.
"The astronaut?" Superman asked. "I thought he was dead. I guess I didn't know everything."
"There's a lot of that goin' around." A voice said before a familiar boy around Atticus's age was shown now in the Fortress with them.
"Conner!" Superboy gasped.
"Hey, buddy," Conner replied before looking at Superman. "So what's the plan... Dad?"
Superman looked puzzled.
"It's kind of a long story." Superboy told his adoptive father.
"I guess I have more to learn." Superman replied.
Back at LexCorp...
Mo began to step away from the room while Lois and Lex watched the footage as she decided to go see what her friends were up to.
"And this time there's no Justice League or Superman to stop me," Sombra told Hank on the screen. "All that remains is for you to open the gates."
"Ever since the Justice League's accident, my satellites have intercepted strange encoded signals; it's some holographic interface Sombra, whoever he is, is beaming directly into Henshaw's head," Lex said before facing Lois. "He's literally messing with his mind."
"Once Superman was gone, he cleared out the Justice League, created an army of cybernetic minions, and now-" Lois began softly as she looked off distantly.
"They open the gates." Lex finished firmly.
"How do we even begin to fight that? Superboy alone couldn't take on an army of minions that have the exact same strength as Superman." Lois said.
"I might have something." Lex replied as he walked off.
"Is it a plan?" Lois asked him. "Because what we really need is a plan."
Mo soon began to sneak out as she decided to meet up with her friends without Lex knowing about it.
Meanwhile, back at the Fortress of Solitude...
"The plan is to stop Sombra and save Henshaw." Superman told the others.
"And get the girl," Conner smirked eagerly. "Slash girls."
"Not the time." Superboy face-palmed.
"Until your regeneration's complete, I must insist you abstain from sexual activity." The Eradicator told Superman.
"Uh, yeah, that's probably a good idea..." Superboy said bashfully.
"Um, all right?" Superman blinked.
"You're not fully powered yet, are you?" Steel asked.
Superman looked to them and looked down a bit.
"For how long?" Superboy frowned.
"I don't know," Superman said softly. "Maybe forever."
The others began to look deeply concerned about that.
Meanwhile back with Lex and Lois...
Dr. Brody was shown to be at work before looking over as he heard his boss coming over which startled him.
"After Darkseid's first invasion, you couldn't walk down the street without tripping over alien tech." Lex told Lois as he led her downstairs.
"Yeah, tech that you gave Intergang before that Sumbro creep or whatever his name is showed up." Lois glared.
"Gave? You really don't get me, do you?" Lex asked her.
Lois gave him a look from that.
"And anyway, you're welcome," Lex then scoffed. "Because that business arrangement is what brought us this beauty. Dr. Brody, if you will?"
Dr. Brody gulped before typing on the keyboard and brought out a special device for Lois to see.
"A motherbox." Lois said.
"We just have to activate it outside the Watchtower at exactly the right spot," Lex told her. "Unfortunately, the tin man's got eyes everywhere."
"Someone will have to go inside and keep him occupied while some others turn this on." Dr. Brody explained.
"Okay," Lois then said. "Show me how it works."
"Are you insane? I'm not going in there, you are." Lex told her with a laugh.
Dr. Brody looked worried for Lois, but he felt he should had expected that from Lex. Lois frowned, but narrowed her eyes as she decided not to argue with Lex about that arrangement.
Back at the Fortress, Superman was seen getting ready.
"Kal-El, I must insist on accompanying you." The Eradicator said to Superman.
"Nope," Superboy disagreed with the Eradicator. "You're a wild card."
Steel and Superdog seemed to agree.
"Maybe a wild card is what we need." Superman suggested as he brought out a crystal.
"What we need is a way to get you to Metropolis," Conner spoke up. "It's 40 below outside, and you're just a guy now."
"Nope, he's just a guy with a ship." Superboy said as he faced Superman's pod.
Superman nodded as that sounded good for them. He soon went inside of his spaceship and took off with Steel, Superboy, Superdog, and Conner as they had a world to save away from the Fortress of Solitude.
"Slammin'!" Conner beamed as his slang from the 1990's came back.
"Excuse me?" Steel asked him.
"Do people not say that anymore?" Conner asked.
"Nope." Superboy said as he and Superdog shook their heads.
Meanwhile, later on...
Mo soon looked around as she made it into town and found her friends as they were at the Watchtower as many angry citizens were furious and protesting Cyborg Superman's followers. Jimmy Olsen began to look for a perfect spot to take pictures before walking over to a spot.
"Crazy protest." Mo said as she found Cherry, Lionel, Thor, Sabrina, and Patch.
"Tell me about it," Sabrina replied. "We just got here ourselves."
Lex's limo soon arrived at the scene before one of the doors opened to show Lois coming out.
"Listen, Lane," Lex said as he came out to see her. "I just wanna say-"
"Thank you?" Lois asked hopefully.
"Don't screw up." Lex narrowed his eyes.
Lois soon looked unimpressed as she should have known he would say that. Lex glared before he looked over as he thought maybe he saw Mo in the crowd.
"What are we gonna do?" Mo asked her friends.
"Not sure what much we can do," Cherry replied. "We've been trying to keep up our strength for this big battle that Drell told us about with the reign of Cyborg Superman."
"Hey! You two!" Lois called out to two followers.
Mo glanced over with her friends from within the crowd as two followers flew down to Lois.
"Take me to your boss." Lois told the two followers.
Lex narrowed his eyes sharply at that.
"We have to do something," Mo told her friends. "Where's Atticus?"
"Busy." Cherry replied bluntly.
"So should we still be out here? Or I could teleport us inside." Thor said.
The group looked at each other before looking back.
"Teleport us, Storm Cloud." Lionel smirked.
"Aye-Aye!" Thor saluted before he teleported them inside with their superhero costumes just in case.