Metropolis, 1 week after the bomb was dropped: Chloe Sullivan sat once more in the basement of the Daily Planet typing aimlessly. After the bomb had been dropped, the military had searched the entire area and found nothing. No trace of either combatant was found and slowly life was returning to normal. The area around Los Alamos was still a mess and there were several committees investigating if the military's action was really warranted on that scale, but those were primarily just for show. The fallout was another problem but the weather had thankfully been favorable enough to limit radioactive ash from spreading too far into any populated areas and what cleanup that could be done was slowly commencing. Internationally, the blast had scared the entire world that such power still existed and Mexico had lodged an official protest to the bomb drop, but in time that too would settle.
Everything would settle except for the emptiness in Chloe Sullivan's heart. Clark had been her one constant friend throughout the years, always willing to offer her support and assistance whenever she needed it. Secretly she had always had a crush on him and on occasion had still held out hope that they would someday become closer together. Over time that feeling had faded and she found herself in a relationship with Jimmy Olsen that, though rocky at times particularly over Clark, had been just what she had needed in her life. Clark could never give himself totally over to anyone, he always had that need deep down to save others and in the end he had made the ultimate sacrifice for it. He had fought Doomsday and held him in one place long enough for the bomb to be successfully dropped and had saved them all. Now whatever feelings she had left unsaid would remain just that and all she could do was sit there and lament over how Clark's sacrifice would go unknown. She knew Clark wouldn't have cared for publicity, he held his secret with great care, but this world needed a hero to show them that good did still exist in the world and could triumph over evil.
But that spark of good was gone and Lex Luthor was still at large. Worse still, she had been unable to contact Oliver and his team, they too had gone missing since the blast and she had a sinking feeling why. Using her hacking skills, she had learned of what little traffic had still been in the air near the bomb blast and sure enough one of them had been a strange type of stealth jet that Chloe knew belonged to Ollie. With them gone, she was now all alone in her pursuits of truth and justice. Lois was still trying to figure out more about Project Ares sure, but still getting nowhere with it and Chloe was reluctant to explain everything and put her in more danger and then loose her like she did Clark and the others. This survivor's guilt was bad enough, she didn't want to feel it even worse than she did now and so she sat typing aimlessly on her computer.
"Hey there's my girl!" said Jimmy happily as he entered into the basement.
"Hey Jimmy," said Chloe trying to muster a smile.
"Aw, sad that the story of a lifetime came and went through your fingertips?" he said trying to be sympathetic but completely missing Chloe's reason for sadness. "Well that's okay, how about that trip to the café I promised you?"
"Yeah let's go," Chloe agreed with a larger smile as she tried to muster her spirits. She reached for her cellphone when her desk briefly rattled and it clattered to the ground.
"Here I've got it," said Jimmy picking it up for her. "Must still be those aftershocks from the blast."
"Yeah," said Chloe as they both exited the basement and headed topside.
"So where's your buddy Clark, I haven't seen him around lately," said Jimmy trying not to sound nervous and arrogant at the same time. The two exited to the morning sun shining overhead.
"Well with his mom now working in Washington, he didn't have much reason to stick around and so he went overseas," Chloe lied. She and Martha had had several conversations over the phone talking about what had happened, and what their explanation should be about Clark's disappearance. They both had decided that to go on a long trip would be the best explanation for everyone.
"Hey after what happened in New Mexico I'd be anxious to get out of here too," agreed Jimmy. "But if he calls you, tell him I said hi."
"I will," Chloe said sadly. "I will."
They entered into the café and made their selections before taking a seat by one of the windows. They began conversing about everything going on in their lives as the table began shaking from an apparent aftershock spilling their food on the floor.
"Damn aftershocks," Jimmy complained as he and the others whose food had spilled tried to collect it and dispose of it. But as they were doing that, a massive jolt rocked the entire building throwing people to the floor as tables overturned and cars jumped up and down outside.
"Jimmy that's no aftershock!" shouted Chloe before an explosion ripped through the air outside flinging cars left and right as a crack split the roadway in two and flames erupted from it straight into the sky. People began running for their lives as two massive bony hands gripped the edges and a titanic gray creature emerged from the ground.
"No," said Chloe in disbelief as she looked at the thing.
"It's Doomsday!" shouted somebody as panic flooded the café and people began bolting for the doors as Jimmy tried to snap as many photos as he could of the creature before Chloe grabbed him and the two exited out the back.
"Cheer up Chloe, your story is here!" said Jimmy heading for the street and the panicking masses anxious for that award winning photograph.
"Jimmy that's Doomsday, he'll kill us all!" she shouted incredulously. "And if he's back then that means C-…he died for nothing!"
"Who?" asked Jimmy confused as they pushed their way into the masses as fire hydrants sprayed water everywhere and damage was now littered up and down the once calm street as Doomsday began destroying cars left and right. Jimmy kept snapping photos as a pair of police cars came rushing in past them headed towards the beast. But before they could even stop, Doomsday punched one straight up into the air back the way it had come. The car came straight towards the two members of the Daily Planet, but before it could hit them a blur passed by depositing them on the sidewalk. Chloe then watched as the blur then immediately rushed back and moved in a circle creating a whirlwind that slowed the police car's descent until it landed safely on its roof. The blur then rushed back to towards them.
"Clark?" said Chloe softly, extremely hopeful.
"Fraid not babe," said Impulse as his image materialized in front of them. "It's just the boy from the future who once more ran back in time to see the girl of his dreams."
Impulse took her hand and bowed as he kissed it. Chloe groaned to herself as Jimmy pushed Bart off of her.
"Hey back off buddy she's my girlfriend!" said Jimmy forcefully. Impulse stood back looking at Jimmy doubtfully.
"The hottest girl on this planet and this is the best you could do?" he said shaking his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk."
"I said back off!" said Jimmy really upset now as he held up his fists.
"Damn dude you are insecure," said Impulse surprised. "But hey if you want to fight over her, I'm game."
"It'll have to wait Impulse, we've got bigger things to worry about!" shouted a voice. Chloe and Jimmy both recognized that voice as the Green Arrow who was standing in broad daylight amongst the destroyed vehicles on the street watched their conversation.
"The Green Arrow is back?" Jimmy said fumbling for his camera. "Oh this is just too good."
But his camera was nowhere to be found and he looked around desperate to find it when a flash caught his attention.
"Until next time buddy boy," said Impulse holding his camera before he vanished as the Green Arrow, Cyborg, and Aquaman ran down the street before the wind kicked up as their badly damaged VTOL coasted by overhead encompassed by a green glow but still bristling with weaponry.
"Give me my camera back!" shouted Jimmy about to race after them when Chloe stopped him.
"Jimmy let it go," she said. "They're here to help, that's all that matters."
"So you say," said Jimmy doubtful as more explosions were heard as the team rounded the corner and vanished from sight.
"C'mon let's follow them!" said Jimmy taking off after them. "I still have my cellphone camera!"
Chloe looked reluctant to get in the middle of another firefight but she had to see this thing's defeat once and for all for Clark's sake and so she chased after her boyfriend.
Lex's Mansion: Lex was sitting behind his desk, his half-filled glass dangling from his hands. He was looking lucidly at his laptop that was displaying his remaining stock of Project Ares soldiers when Bartlett burst in.
"What is it?" Lex demanded. "I said I was to be left alone."
"I think this might qualify as something to be bothered with," said Bartlett as he flipped on the television screen.
"This is Cat Grant again from Metropolis News WGBS where right now the Doomsday monster has reappeared in downtown Metropolis and is now currently destroying everything in sight," continued Cat from a helicopter that was showing a birds-eye view of Doomsday's rampage. Lex sat up attentively as the creature continued its path unabated despite several police officers opening fire on it.
"Get the remaining soldiers armed with shock cannons," Lex ordered standing up and shutting off his laptop. "We're about to go to war and I will have that thing's head on my mantle."
Bartlett nodded and the two strode determined out of the room.
Metropolis: Doomsday was continuing on its rampage when a green arrow whisked by its head embedding itself into the building in front of it. The beast spun around to see the Green Arrow, Cyborg, Aquaman, and Impulse standing stolid amongst the carnage behind them as the VTOL was hanging behind them blowing up dust everywhere.
"Green Lantern; let him have it," ordered the Green Arrow. The front part of the green glow in front of the VTOL dropped as every weapon the fighter was carrying fired on the beast, from rail guns to missiles to even laser cannons all aimed at the beast as it made no move to avoid the oncoming barrage. Smoke soon blew past the area as the arrow exploded bringing down the entire building on Doomsday's head as the team stood there unflinchingly as debris rained down all around them. The team didn't even bother to ask whether they had defeated the beast, they knew if he survived a nuclear blast he would survive this barrage no problem. But the team would take any advantage they could get and this was it. Their question was soon responded to anyway as a large chunk of concrete came zooming out of the debris and slammed into the VTOL causing it to crash as Hal Jordan emerged unscathed in his Green Lantern outfit to join the other four.
"Let's go save the world," said the Green Arrow as the two sides rushed each other.
LuthorCorp: In the distance, another explosion went off as a building came crashing down as already flames and smoke began to obscure the sky.
"Damn it all," complained Lionel as he was reading through the various proposals on his desk.
"I told you; Doomsday is unstoppable," answered the Martian Manhunter standing stoically arms crossed as he looked out the window.
"Is that why you're not out there fighting?" asked Lionel still reading.
"Yes," the Martian confirmed nodding his head. "If Kal-El was unable to defeat Doomsday than neither would I be able to."
"He did manage to buy us valuable time with his sacrifice," Lionel pointed out. "The Dimension Tide is near completion."
"Yes but how we will get Doomsday immobile enough for the thing to work accurately is another matter," the Manhunter remarked. "As I recall the device did not work well against G-."
"We'll find a way," said Lionel as a green beam of energy shot out into the daytime sky. "Though this group of superindividuals Oliver Queen has dug up complicates things."
"You are certain there is little we can do to reason with them?" J'onn asked. Lionel nodded his head as a stream of water shot into the air before abruptly turning around and crashing back down onto the ground.
"Oliver Queen has little reason to trust me after my son's actions and due to my own when I was a different man," said Lionel. "And I doubt any of them have even heard of you unless Clark mentioned you in passing. No, we are on our own as I said."
"Then we must hurry or more heroes will die," said J'onn as he walked back to Lionel's desk and went over their finalized plans to rid the world of Doomsday.
Streets: Doomsday was slammed into a building by a green blast of energy as Hal Jordan dropped to the pavement in pain as he had cuts and scrapes all over his body.
"Impulse you're up!" said the Green Arrow as he helped the Green Lantern to his feet.
"You okay?" he asked. Hal nodded his head.
"Just a little light headed," he said breathing heavily. "I've never seen something that could break through my energy barrier before. That's-."
"Hot?" Ollie asked with a raised eyebrow barely visible underneath his hood. Hal chuckled despite the pain.
"Tough," he finished as Impulse streaked by in a blur to the advancing beast. The kid flash zipped around and around the creature as all the debris from their fight got swept up in his wake and soon began pelting the beast in the ensuing vortex. The cyclone soon got so strong that the other members of the team had to hang on for dear life as it began sucking anything and everything not bolted down as multiple sonic booms tore through the air. The cyclone soon began to rotate faster and faster as the circumference grew smaller and smaller until the entire thing exploded flinging debris everywhere as Impulse finally slowed down out of breath. Where the cyclone had been was nothing but wreckage.
"All in a days work," said Impulse leaning on his knees as the team moved to join him. The debris then flew apart as Doomsday once again rose from the ashes like the legendary Phoenix.
"No," said Impulse feeling defeat at the creature still being able to stand after all that.
"Cyborg you're up," said Green Arrow trying to buy them some time. Victor Stone stepped up ahead of them and began pressing random pieces on his skin. As he was doing this, a flash caught the rest of the team's attention as they saw Jimmy Olsen snapping photos of them with his camera phone. Not missing a beat, Ollie drew an arrow and held it to his bow and let it loose as it broke Jimmy's phone to pieces.
"Hey!" complained Jimmy upset as he held up the arrow. "I don't get a new one until…"
The arrow that was now in his hand began spraying sleeping gas and the photographer slumped to the ground unconscious. The team returned their attention to Doomsday as Chloe appeared.
"Oh hello Watchtower," said Ollie nonchalantly. "You'll forgive me if we don't catch up on old times but we're kind of busy here. Cyborg, how long?"
"Almost done," said Cyborg still pressing pieces of his skin. The team began backing up as Doomsday continued advancing on them.
"I'm surprised to be talking with you at all, I figured you'd died in New Mexico," Chloe admitted. Ollie nodded impressed.
"Yeah well thanks to Green Lantern and his ring here, we barely managed to make it out okay," said Ollie clapping Hal on the shoulder as Hal tried to concentrate and shoot off one more blast from his ring, but he was too exhausted.
"So where've you guys been then?" asked Chloe. Cyborg's right arm began to glow from underneath his skin as mechanical noises were heard along with something powering up.
"Decontaminating ourselves and it hasn't been easy," said Ollie. "So you might want to stay your distance we might still have some background radiation on us."
Chloe nodded and then had to ask the one question she desperately needed answered.
"Is Boy Scout…" she began before trailing off. Green Arrow turned to look at her as sympathetically as best he could behind his disguise.
"I'm sorry Watchtower," he said. "But what he started we intend to finish. Cy?"
Cyborg turned to face him with a grin.
"Locked and loaded," he said as his right arm morphed into a gigantic plasma cannon. Chloe looked at the thing surprised.
"Did he always have that?" she asked. Ollie shrugged.
"I know a guy around here who's pretty good with a hammer who upgraded him for me," responded the Green Arrow. "Now c'mon, retreat!"
The team took off with Aquaman reluctantly collecting Jimmy and they took off down the street as Cyborg stood there was his cannon aimed at Doomsday. The monstrosity stopped in its tracks and looked at the smaller individual unsure what to make of him.
"This is for Clark Kent!" Cyborg shouted as his arm began glowing and light exploded from it as a loud explosion was heard as pure energy came flying out of the end straight at the creature who took it full force. The surrounding three blocks went up in a fiery blaze from the energy shot and then the energy vanished leaving a small crater. Impulse blazed in and dragged Cyborg's body out of the crater and vanished as a bony fist punched its way out of the ground.
Metropolis International Airport: Lex Luthor disembarked from his private jet with the remains of Project Ares as planes took off loaded with passengers in an eerie repeat of what had happened in Las Vegas.
"Let's not fail here like we did earlier," said Lex fully recognizing the similarities. "I don't take failure well, twice is very unacceptable."
The team continued into the airport terminal before boarding a military truck and rolling off into the city.
Oliver's Apartment: The team was tending to their injuries as video images showed Doomsday now fighting with the military and cops as Cat Grant reporting on this and the earlier rumors of a team of superheroes who managed to put up a decent fight against the creature along with grainy photographs of the team in action.
"What is this thing?" said Ollie at a loss as to how the creature could constantly have stood up to their attacks on top of what it had already received the week before at the hands of Clark and the nuclear warhead.
"All Clark told me was that it was apparently a Kryptonian experiment created to be the ultimate survivor. Its main purpose was to seek out anything and everything that could be a threat and destroy it. That's why it was sealed away in the Phantom Zone," explained Chloe.
"Is this, what Clark's been up to while we've been destroying 33.1 Facilities?" inquired Oliver. Chloe nodded sadly.
"It was something only he could deal with," said Chloe remorseful. "And so he threw himself into more and more dangerous situations to try and clean up the mess he had made until he sacrificed himself in the process."
Oliver placed his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "He may be gone, but we'll keep on fighting just like he would right now."
Chloe nodded wiping away tears as the elevator doors opened to everyone's surprise as a tall African-American man walked in spinning a wrench on his finger after having apparently overridden the security system.
"Hey guys," he said chewing a piece of gum as the team relaxed except for Chloe who was left confused.
"Chloe allow me to introduce our IT guy and just about the sixth member of our team, John Henry Irons," said Ollie make introductions. John smiled and shook Chloe's hand.
"I've seen your work in the Daily Planet, it's very informative," said the man with a smile.
"Well thank you," said Chloe slightly flustered as John made his way to Cyborg.
"Hey Victor," he said sitting down next to the barely moving hero. "I guess the Plasma Cannon worked like I said it would."
"Yeah but it nearly fried my power cells," Victor complained. "And without those I die."
"I apologize, I'm still working on your new cells it is just that this whole situation with Doomsday has disrupted my work," John apologized as he began rooting through his toolbox. "I'll just reset the cannon to give a lower powered blast in the meantime."
Chloe turned around to talk to Oliver but found him across the room talking with Hal and AC about battle tactics for their next encounter with Doomsday. With nothing else to do, Chloe walked over to talk more with this new arrival.
"I'm going to have to put you in sleep mode to make the necessary modifications I'm sorry," said John adjusting a device he was carrying. Victor nodded.
"Just make it quick, I don't like feeling helpless," said Cyborg uncomfortable about it all. John nodded sympathetically and powered him down before shaking his head sadly and pulling out a diagnostic kit that he hooked into Victor's arms.
"Oh hello again Ms. Sullivan," said John reading the device's information. "What can I do for you?"
"Not much," said Chloe shrugging. "I'm not really a strategy expert to help them over there but I don't like being a third wheel either so do you need any help?"
"Depends," said John as he opened an access plate in Victor's chest. "Do you know your way around a toolbox?"
"Mostly," said Chloe with a nervous laugh. John grabbed a wrench and went to work.
"Not that I mean to pry," Chloe apologized. "But I pretty much know everyone else's story and I'm curious how you met up with this group?"
"You don't need to apologize, you're a journalist it must be in your blood to be inquisitive," John reasoned. "Actually it is thanks to a man named Clark Kent."
"Clark, really?" said Chloe surprised.
"That's right," John confirmed still working away on Victor Stone. "Awhile back I got into a lot of trouble with something I had invented. Everywhere I turned no one would help me, the government, my so called 'friends', no one. I was completely alone and helpless for once in my life with nowhere left to turn as my invention was being used for so much evil. I dropped further and further into depression and soon I was wandering the streets homeless and completely destitute and having fully recognized that I was going to die abandoned and alone sort of like Victor here," John continued as his voice became very sad at the whole predicament he had been in. "Then one day I'm walking around out in the middle of the business district where they're doing construction remembering the days when I used to invent and the wind blows one of the cranes on top of a building directly off of its perch and it comes falling down to the pedestrian filled sidewalk below."
"I remember that," said Chloe remembering doing some work on that particular story, the whole idea was a living nightmare.
"So most everyone has already managed to run from the falling debris and find shelter but there's this one kid, in his real young teens, who's listening to his music and doesn't notice the situation around him. And something in me just kicks deep down in my gut and even though I know I'll probably die, I still rush through the falling debris to save him. I barely get to him in time and shove him out of the way to safety, but time was up for me. I look straight into the sky and see the crane just inches from my face and time almost seems to freeze. I see my entire life flash before my eyes and I hate what I see, I hate what I had done. I was going to die while people continued to bad things because I gave them the means to do it. And I also know that there are no heroes out there to stop them. I saved someone, I did a good deed, but who would save me? The answer in my mind was no one and so I was truly prepared to die a broken man," said John as his eyes began to water. "But I was wrong. I heard this strange whooshing noise like a jetstream and my vision instantly becomes blurry and the next thing I know I'm in a darkened alleyway hearing the crane hit the ground around the corner. The other thing I notice is that there's a darkened individual in red and blue standing there in the alley looking like a…an angel sent from above. I know in my mind that he saved me and I try to come up with some way to thank him for putting his life in harm's way but before I can say anything, he holds up his hand to stop me and do you know what he says?"
"No," said Chloe softly, mesmerized by the story.
"He says 'thank you'," said John incredulously. "A man who didn't know anything about me, what I had done, who saved me with superhuman powers, a man who could have demanded my complete and utter servitude to him and all he can say is 'thank you'. Utterly speechless at his graciousness I asked him what for and he said because I saved that kid even knowing that I would die. I told him that I didn't deserve to be thanked because of what I had done and all he says is that it doesn't matter what I did before, it only matters what I did just now that does. Then on top of that, he actually has the compunction to ask me, a man who he didn't even know anything about, how he could help me in return. No one I have ever known has ever asked if they could help me with something if they weren't being forced to and to me it was like the floodgates opening.
I told him literally everything about what had been happening in my life up to that point and he just stands there listening to it all taking it all in, never once being overwhelmed by it all or just leaving like anyone else would have done. I finally finish with my story and I just stand there waiting for the other shoe to drop where he says that he can't help me, that I am on my own and that this was a one time only deal but instead I get 'so what are we going to do about it?'. And we did. He helped me solve the problem all while treating me as an equal and not as a bum who could not rely on himself to solve his own problems," John continued. "When we were done, I asked him how I could ever repay him and again he says: 'live a life worth saving' before directing me in the direction of Ollie and his team who really needed help with Victor here. And so I've been providing them with technical expertise ever since. Clark turned my life around, he saved me like he's done to so many others, and I know that without him I'd likely be dead and so I'm still trying to live up to the standard he set for me."
With that he was done with his work and powered up Victor.
"Everything go okay?" Cyborg asked.
"Yeah," John confirmed before a shocked look crossed his face and he began patting himself down. "Wait where did my wrench go…oh no."
Victor looked at him shocked before looking at his chest as John began laughing as he produced the wrench from his sleeve. Victor growled before letting it go.
"Guys," said Oliver getting their attention. The group advanced to the monitor that again showed Doomsday making his way through explosions and weapons fire before several laser beams slammed into it throwing the creature backwards as numerous armored soldiers landed on the ground from above via jetpack.
"Looks like Lex is back in the picture," stated Ollie.
A/N: John's story was an idea I had for a fanfic that at the moment hasn't materialized. If it does, it'll likely be my last Smallville fic since Hal, Doomsday, and John's stories are the only ones I have an idea about what to write for this show.