"Return"

Part 2 of 3

by Steave

He found himself here again, this sacred place of solitude. It was not his Fortress, but an open plain in Kansas, where the hills roll and the grass is tall. He breathed in the cool air, letting it settle into his Kryptonian system. The night was beautiful, the moon bright, the grass was like a river swaying to and fro. It had been awhile since he had been here, under the willow tree.

Clark was staring at a gravestone, Jonathan Kent was etched into the surface. He couldn't help but to well up with sadness everytime he came here. True, the scenery was beautiful, but it seemed like only yesterday that he had arrived on this planet, taken in by Jon and Martha. They were, to him, his parents.

He knew from his early arrival, however, that he was indeed different. Lifting the tractor when Pa got it stuck, blazing red fire burning from his eyes when he got the slightest bit angry. His family, Jon and Martha, were the only ones who knew his secret, that he was an alien from another planet that they sought to help.

However, Pa had died of a heart attack shortly before Clark left to find his true self. Clark removed his glasses as tears began to run along the brim. It hurt everytime to come here, but it had been awhile, and he felt that Pa was due for another visit.

His voice was hoarse, but his words scraped out of his throat.

"You'd be . . . um, really proud of me, I think Pa."

The tears were coming briskly now, and he wasn't about to hold them back. "Never hide your true emotions," Ma had always told him.

"All those people, I can hear them all. They all thank me, silently or out loud. You once told me that I was meant for great things . . . "

It became harder and harder to talk with each passing word.

"And, now I think, I believe you."

He took a moment to recollect himself, but he started up again as soon as he began.

"I just . . . I just wanted to say, thank you. You taught me more than I ever credited you for, and I just . . . I miss you Pa. And . . . I love you. I'll save the world for you."

He looked up in the sky, watching the stars and the moon, letting the tears come freely down his face. They were being cooled by the wind, and then he wiped them away. Clark glanced back over his shoulder, looking at his home. Turning back, he flew into the night sky, donning his new clothes.

The red S shone brighter than it ever had.

--

The Planet was exactly as it had been 4 years ago. The more Lex traveled around Metropolis, the more he began to realize that none of it really had changed. Metropolis, just doesn't move on without Lex Luthor.

He strode in, alone, carrying only his briefcase and coat hung around his arm. The men and women of the Planet greeted him with their looks. None of them had built up the courage to come and say hello, for Lex was too great of a man. They all just stared at his greatness, his very presence increasing many of their heartbeats. He had that effect on most people.

Lex walked to the receptionist, focused in the middle of the golden lobby. She wore thick glasses and was everything but attractive.

"Excuse me miss, but could you direct me to Studio 66?"

She didn't even look up at him, "Do you have an appointment?"

"Um, Alexander Luthor."

Her head creaked to the right, focusing away from her computer. She gave him an astonished smile, and looked as if she was about to pee her pants.

"Of course Mr. Luthor sir, ummm . . . . it's floor 34."

"Thank you."

"N-n-o, prob-b-blem. Heh."

He walked to the elevator at the far end of the lobby, pulling out his cell phone. Dialing a number, he put it to his ear, patiently awaiting it to picked up.

A shaky voice traced with anxiousness answered the phone, "Yes Mr. Luthor?"

"Hello Perry."

"Uh, hello sir, I'm assuming that you're here?"

"Yes Perry, is everything ready?"

"Of course Mr. Luthor."

"Thank you . . . oh and Perry?"

"Yes?"

"Who's working the front desk in the lobby this evening?"

"Jessica Geffins?"

"Good, well, tell her she's fired."

He flipped his phone closed, and put it back in his pocket. 24 more floors to go.

--

"Damn, could he be any later?"

Sam Johnson was a very experienced cameraman straight from Metropolis College, and he was uneasy. Lex Luthor, owner of the Planet, LexCorp, and about half of the entire planet was due hours ago. He understood that a man of Lex's caliber had to be one busy son of a bitch, but damn, he could at least show some courtesy by showing up on time.

Alexia was waiting for him back at their apartment, she was making some microwave pizza he suspected. It was destined to be cold when he got back. He couldn't help but think that he wouldn't be getting any tonight. Pizza or otherwise.

"C'mon man, let's go."

A hand touched his shoulder and a smell followed. It smelled like garbage, dirty rotten garbage. And piss mixed with some alcohol. Damn it smelled bad.

"Excuse me sir."

Sam whirled around, "Can I help . . ?"

He saw a man with a full red beard, and skull cap. A black leather trench coat covered his body, underneath was a white wife-beather and stained jeans. In his hands was some kind of wire, and soon it was around Sam's neck. His life was being sapped away, and then, the wire was pulled back so far that his neck snapped backwards. The pop-pop-POP sound was deafening, but they were the only ones in the studio.

Milton smiled, "Yes, I believe you can."

Picking him up off of the floor, he carried him to the bathroom.

--

The studio wasn't as big as the ones in Florida or New York, but it was used only for one-on-one interviews. No live audience, just the reporter, him, and the cameraman.

Lois sat across him, legs crossed, and they were beautiful legs. She was the most beautiful woman he had seen in his entire life, and he had had his share of gorgeous woman in his lifetime. None however had a determination to match their equal beauty, none but Lois.

She was wearing a black leather skirt, black heels, a red jacket draped over a black dress shirt. Her hair a raven black, her nails a mahagony red. She smiled at him, and he smile back. His heart began to race, and then the interview started.

"So Lex, let's kick off this interview with a simple question . . . where did you go?"

"Well, around the world really."

"Could you be more specific?"

"I felt that in order for LexCorp to do better in a business setting, I needed to see some of the world's top business to see where we stood."

"And where does LexCorp stand?"

"Head and shoulders above the rest."

She smiled and he smiled back, however he knew the real reason he had left, and he wasn't about to let out the biggest secret of all.

"What are your plans for the future?"

"Of LexCorp?"

"Yes."

"Well, currently we are merging with S.T.A.R. Labs, the best scientific and research facility on the planet. We hope that this will increase profit and growth in our more scientific areas."

There was another reason behind this one too, but he wasn't going to reveal this secret either.

"Is there anything you would like to say to Metropolis right now?"

"Well Lois, there is one thing . . ."

A shot rang out in the studio, and Lex cluthced his left arm. Blood was flowing from his black coat as he grimaced and screamed in pain.

Lois looked up to see that the cameraman was holding a smoking pistol, and he smelled awful. A smile shone underneath his red beard as he turned back to the camera in a very charismatic way.

"I have one thing to say to Metropolis," he leveled his gun to Lex's head, "Where is your Superman now?"

BLAM!