A/N: Well Bartlett dying in the finale pretty much made this AU so just assume it's a different Bartlett here.
California: Doomsday stood eyeing the tanks for any sign of attack as General Lane stood there completely unsure as to what to do.
"Sir, we have to do something," said one of his corporals also at a loss for words.
"Right," said General Lane picking up his megaphone. "Attention…creature…We mean you no harm and if you surrender now we will grant you mercy for the damage you've already caused trying to escape from wherever you were."
The look Doomsday gave General Lane chilled him to the bone as for perhaps the first time in his life, the General saw a being radiate pure evil from its eyes. It then reached back its arm and punched a nearby tank throwing it backwards and collapsing just inches from the crowd that turned into a mob and began swarming everywhere.
"Oh for-fire!" shouted General Lane. The barrage the tanks gave the creature was absolutely deafening as explosions rocked the area and smoke obscured the area.
"Sir?" asked the corporal. Lane continued to watch the area with dread, if that thing had managed to survive hull piercing rounds at point blank range…
The creature's roar answered that question as it came racing out of the smoke completely unharmed save for a coating of ash and began punching tanks left and right causing them to go flying off into the crowd, killing whomever they fell on.
"Lois!!!" shouted General Lane, but he couldn't see her in the mass of people swarming about to know if she was alive or not.
"Sir, orders!" shouted the corporal as a tank exploded flinging them off of their feet from the resulting shockwave.
"Get all remaining soldiers to do what they can to get the beast's attention and lure it away from here and have the police officers try and get some order to this mob," ordered General Lane as he got to his feet. But to his dismay, a shadow crossed over them as Doomsday went flying through the air after taking a massive leap. It then came crashing down on the crowd, killing many on landing, before leaping again and heading off towards Coast City.
"Sir!" shouted the corporal. Lane watched the creature go, having killed countless people in the span of less than a minute.
"Alert Coast City civil defense and alert the Air Force too," said General Lane at a loss for it all. "Tell them…doomsday is coming."
Metropolis: The entire newsroom was deadly silent, everyone beyond belief at the destruction that had just occurred.
"Okay, ladies and gentlemen," said the managing editor of the basement. "Orders from Chief Kahn, get back to work on what you were doing. If anyone's being assigned to this case you'll be notified first."
Clark headed for the exit when Chloe caught up to him.
"Clark you have to take me with you," Chloe pleaded. Clark looked at her doubtful.
"Chloe I'm an alien not a taxi service," he said getting ready to go. But Chloe wouldn't be refused and she stood in front of him.
"I need to know Lois is safe," she insisted. Clark looked away not wanting to deal with this right now.
"Chloe if I take you I won't be able to guarantee your safety," Clark said. "You saw what that thing did, I'll have my hands full and I can't be worried that you'll get yourself hurt."
"Clark I'm touched, really I am, but I'll be fine," Chloe promised. "Please, I have to go."
Clark rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration before grabbing Chloe's shoulders as if to deliberately move her to the side. Chloe closed her eyes to summon up her courage to confront him once more but when she opened them she was in broad daylight in the middle of a mass of people.
"Be safe," Clark warned and then vanished. Chloe looked around and saw the upended tanks and various army personnel running around as explosions rang out in the nearby Coast City.
"Wow," she said speechless before turning sober. "Be safe Clark."
Coast City: A tall skyscraper came crashing down on the main thoroughfare as Doomsday continued its rampage oblivious to the panicking of the city's population except to tear apart anyone that got within reach. It roared in pleasure at the devastation as fires raged everywhere and emergency personnel tried desperately to respond to the ever enlarging carnage and chaos. It was into this chaos that Clark Kent found himself, for once truly out of his league. For of all the destruction that Zod had created on Dark Thursday, it was nothing in comparison to this. Then the rioting had been the result of a complete lack of power but here it had a physical source that people could identify and couldn't be solved as easily as just turning the power back on. Aldar and Titan had been fought in relatively secluded areas, but here there were people everywhere and if Clark fought this Doomsday person, he'd risk not only exposing his secret but risk killing even more in the ensuing battle. His only option now was to somehow get this fight out of the city as quickly as possible. So with that he rushed in at superspeed and came to a halt in front of Doomsday.
"Hey, Doomsday!" shouted Clark above the noise of the chaos around them. The creature didn't appear to respond to that name, but it did respond to the Kryptonian's pose of challenge by temporarily stopping its rampage and stood greatly encompassing the smaller being with its massive size.
"I know you want death and destruction and I know that you want to fight to me," Clark continued trying not to be intimidated by the size differential. "But not here. We can fight outside the city limits but not within. So what do you say to that?" he asked. The creature's response was a punch that came so fast that Clark barely managed to avoid it, still getting cut in the process on his cheek, a cut that immediately drew blood from one of Doomsday's bony protrusions. Clark reacted with shock; it had taken several blows from Titan to puncture his skin and even then it had been his lip. Yet for Doomsday to have done so with just a glancing blow was perhaps a true testament to his power.
"Fine, it's your funeral," said Clark began to get pissed off. He rushed Doomsday at superspeed and unleashed a punch that would have thrown Titan off of his feet. But the resulting blow to Clark's stunned silence merely caused Doomsday to skid backwards a few feet before coming to a complete halt. It then looked at the Kryptonian with perhaps a mild sense of being unimpressed before it unleashed a punch that sent Clark flying through the air and through a nearby skyscraper near the fifteenth floor before crashing into the next skyscraper somewhere near the thirtieth. Clark sat there slumped against the wall that had finally halted his backward momentum, unable to muster the strength to even get up as the people in the office he had entered rushed everywhere in a panic as more explosions were heard outside rocking Coast City. After everyone had gone, did Clark finally try and haul himself to his feet and he stood there desperately trying to catch his breath, grateful he hadn't broken anything. But before he could slowly make his way back to the fighting, the Martian Manhunter appeared, hovering outside the hole he had made.
"Kal-El, this is a fight you cannot win!" insisted the Martian. "You have to try a different tactic, if all you use is brute strength you will loose!"
"If you're too scared to fight this thing that's fine," said Clark bitterly. "But people are dying out there and I'm the only one who can help them!"
With that he was gone as the Martian Manhunter watched him go with pity before blasting off into the sky.
Ground: Doomsday punched his way straight through an MTD bus and then took one end of it and launched it at a nearby news helicopter that went down in flames killing even more. Doomsday was about to continue on its rampage when a blur caused a wall of flames to part as Clark came racing in with an uppercut that knocked Doomsday off of his feet. Above, several news helicopters tried to cover the event despite the ensuing carnage.
"This is Cat Grant filling in for Juliet Louise who was tragically killed by the monster's rampage already," said 20 year old blonde Cat Grant in one of the helicopters as she held on for dear life as it was buffeted by the explosions and flying debris. "So far the monster's rampage is seemingly unchecked as…Wait, what is that?"
The camera zoomed in on a figure that was fighting it out with the creature.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is amazing but someone is fighting the creature," said Cat utterly confused. "Quick zoom in on him!"
As the camera zoomed in, the feed immediately died.
"We've lost visual," said the technician. "And it looks like everyone else has too."
"How is that possible, did we loose a transmitter?" said Cat. The technician shrugged.
"I don't know but we've still got audio, keep talking!" said the technician. Cat nodded and picked her microphone back up.
"This is Cat Grant continuing with you despite technical difficulties," she continued.
Metropolis: Lionel Luthor breathed a sigh of relief as he had managed to use Luthorcorp technology to cut all videofeed of the fight as he communicated with the Martian Manhunter on their possibly plans of action now that Doomsday had appeared.
Air: The Queen Industries Jet was passing over Kentucky as it raced faster and faster towards Coast City.
"No doubt that was Clark," said Ollie looking at the darkened screen.
"Then we may as well turn around now, boyscout's got it in the bag," said Aquaman with a grin. Ollie shook his head.
"No he doesn't. You saw that security camera footage we got from our local Queen Industries building, that person who slammed into it also had to have been Clark. If that thing managed to hit him that far than he is in trouble," Ollie stated. "And we have to get there now! Hal, how's it going?"
"I'm using my ring to pour as much thrust into the engines but it's still going to be another three hours before we get there," came the response from the cockpit.
"Gentlemen, better prepare yourselves we're going to be in for the fight of our lives," said Ollie as he began engaging in a series of stretches to prepare as the others nodded grimly.
Colorado: An aging Boeing 737 flew across the state heading for California as well. Inside, Lex and Bartlett were listening to Cat Grant's radio broadcast with extreme interest.
"Oh this is so much more than I could have hoped for," said Lex excited beyond belief. "One alien more powerful than any of those others, another super-powered person fighting it, and a chance to show off my 33.1 Projects, dreams really do come true."
"To success sir," offered Bartlett. Lex nodded.
"To the success of Project Ares," he agreed with an evil grin spreading across his face.
California: Clark went crashing through the a massive sign welcoming individuals to Coast City before rolling away as Doomsday came crashing down on the spot where he had once been. Clark returned to his feet and looked at the creature. The Kryptonian was breathing heavily and had various cuts across his body, but if the creature had been affected by their fight it sure wasn't showing it. Wind gusts around him signaled the presence of more helicopters as Clark reached for the hat he had grabbed off the rack to complement his pair of sunglasses and change of clothes to conceal his identity. Doomsday meanwhile had taken off by taking gigantic leaps, apparently intent on some eastward course that belayed all explanation; perhaps to taunt Clark's inability to stop him from killing more civilians. The Kryptonian responded the only way he knew how by accelerating once more to top speed and chasing after him.
Above them, a military helicopter raced by amongst the others trying to keep a track of their course.
"Sir, we've set up mines and mortars along their apparent path and we've got air units nearby awaiting orders for a strike," said the corporal to General Lane.
"Excellent," he said pleased. "And our tank positions?"
"We've got them set up in a standard formation ready to fire on your command," responded the corporal producing a map of everyone's location.
"Wow you're really on top of things," said Lois with a grin. General Lane scowled at that. He hadn't wanted to bring along Lois and Chloe but he knew that if he didn't have them safe with him they'd just get themselves in harm's way and those were two deaths he'd rather never have to explain.
"But General," said Chloe concerned for Clark. "What of the second person down there trying to stop that creature?"
"As far as I'm concerned they're both too dangerous to be kept alive," said the General. "I need to worry about the lives of every civilian in their path. Unit 1 you are cleared to fire."
Chloe looked out at the battle below them with dread as miles away a wave of tanks began shelling the area.
Below: Clark slammed right into Doomsday's back and rushed forward as fast as he could while artillery shells and mine blasts went of all around him. He shoved Doomsday as far as he could before the beast slammed his razor sharp bones spikes growing out of his elbows directly into Clark's sides causing him to fall in pain as blood poured out his wounds. He lay there in severe pain as Doomsday stood over him with its right arm reared back ready to perhaps give him the final blow. But before it could, Clark's eyes lit up and he fired his laser beams at Doomsday flinging him off of his feet and backwards onto the ground. Clark still lay there on the ground drifting between consciousness and unconsciousness as blood spilled all around him. He looked up and saw a sign that read: 'Welcome to Nevada'.
"You sure see the sights on this job," he said as he coughed out a bit of blood as Doomsday returned to his feet and once more looked down at the Kryptonian. But before Clark could summon up his strength to fire off another blast, Doomsday kicked him hard to the stomach and the Kryptonian went soaring off into the horizon before Doomsday turned around and bounded off back on its eastward course.
Helicopter: "Now where are they?" demanded General Lane using his binoculars but spotting nothing.
"Somewhere near the California/Nevada border," answered the corporal. General Lane dropped his binoculars.
"Impossible, nothing moves that fast!" he said. Chloe swallowed nervously at all of this.
"Well that's where they are," said the corporal helpless to do anything about it. "Oh wait, one of them is now flying off to the North apparently the larger one 'kicked' him."
"Oh no, Clark," said Chloe underneath her breath, fearful for his safety.
"Do we have an ID on the smaller more 'human' combatant?" asked Lane. The corporal shook his head.
"Alright since the larger one is still where he's supposed to be, get him before he hits Las Vegas," ordered Lane.
"Yes sir!" said the corporal reaching for his radio.
Yuma Desert: Clark crashed into the ground and went skidding along it plowing up rocks, sand, and cactuses before coming to a halt. Clark once more fought to get to his feet as he climbed up a cactus that thankfully didn't puncture his skin. But before Clark could superspeed off again, his actions were hampered by the arrival of the Martian Manhunter.
"Now do you believe me?" he stated crossing his arms.
"Either help me or get out of the way," said Clark brushing past him. The Martian Manhunter merely pushed lightly on him as he passed to make Clark stumble to try and prove his point. But Clark would hear none of it and he vanished leaving a trail of parted sand behind.
Las Vegas Strip: Tourists ran down the strip in panic as behind them, the Eiffel Tower Restaurant came crashing down taking out the miniature Arc De Triomphe. Doomsday was making its way down the strip oblivious to the small arms fire directed at it. It kept walking until a massive spear impaled it through the chest and instantly began glowing red hot. The creature spun around to see Clark Kent standing there heavily out of breath and resting his hands on his legs.
"Burn," he stated darkly. But the creature didn't respond, it just ripped the spear that had come from the top of the Eiffel Tower out of its chest and launched it at the Kryptonian who didn't have the strength to avoid the shot and took a glancing blow to the shoulder and fell down on his butt. Before the creature could advance on his weakened state, Clark sucked in as much air as he could and blew it out at Doomsday who now had to fight hurricane strength winds. But it still pressed onwards towards the ever weakening Kal-El of Krypton. In response Clark poured whatever energy he had left into one final blast of his optic beams that slammed into the beast engulfing it in flames. This went on for a few more moments before Clark completely ran out of juice and just lay there panting heavily. But once more to Clark's astonishment, Doomsday walked through the smoke barely phased aside from some more ash on its bones. It then picked up Clark by his collar and held him up. Clark closed his eyes waiting for the inevitable and was punched so hard that he was knocked completely unconscious. It was only by luck that the punch was so hard that it ripped Clark's collar causing him to be torn from Doomsday's grasp and continue his course into a nearby casino taking out various gambling machines and tables before coming to a halt, out cold.
Doomsday turned around to continue its course when bright lights shone all over it. Out of the brightness came several darkened figures.
"I am Lex Luthor," said one of them. "And this is as far as you go."
The 33.1 experiments rushed the beast and the battle instantly escalated.