Author's Note: I know this is usually one of the worst times to post a story. Hope you guys like this new installment.

War of The Light

Chapter 3

Back in Washington, Superboy continued to face off with the armed guards on the steps of the capital. The black suited soldiers all tackled him at once trying to hold him down as an enraged Superboy continued battling their leader the Americommando. Whose hands were just inches away from his face, the men did their best to hold down the Boy of Steel but were unsuccessful as he threw them off at once. The soldiers flew in all directions and some tumbled down the capital steps. Superboy grabbed the Americommando's chest harness and stared him in the eye.

"Why are you helping him?" he demanded. Who couldn't possibly understand why anyone would help defend a murderer like Lex Luthor.

The Americommando looked back at him calmly and stated.

"It's my job." He replied.

"But why help him?" he demanded in anger. The Americommando remained calm even as Superboy looked ready to kill him.

"Because I'm a solider, I don't like it anymore than you do. But I have a loyalty to this nation. I'm sorry. I'm only following orders." The Americommando replied turning away.

"And what will you do to me?" he asked looking back at him. Superboy narrowed his eyes and released his grip on the marine.

"Your not the enemy." He replied in an equally calm demeanor. A smile played on the commando's face.

"I'm glad we have an understanding then." He smirked.

"So how would you like to help me topple him?" Superboy asked.

"I'd be breaking rank and probably court marshaled for treason. But it'll be worth It." the Americommando replied with a smirk. Superboy smirked back and nodded.

"Sorry about roughing up your team." He said turning away.

"Your just doing your job." The commando replied coolly and addressed his men.

"Alpha Company we have a new objective. For too long we've served under a dictator, it's time we take our country back and restore the ideals it once stood for. Whose with me?" he asked. The men slowly recovered from being knocked out and looked up at their commanding officer on top the stairs.

The soldiers looked at each other not sure how to answer till a single black Marine stood up. Others seemed to accept and stood up as well before the entire battalion Superboy was battling were back on their feet in unspoken agreement.

"Then let's make things right for a change." Their leader said.

In the executive mansion a mile away, Superman made his way through the levels of security. As Secret Service agents tried in vain to stop him and were quickly swatted aside by the Man of Steel into the walls and potted plants dotting the hallway. The double doors to the Oval Office opened a minute later as Superman entered to face his most hated adversary the overall ruler of North America on behalf of the Light, Lex Luthor.

The folically-impaired overlord stood behind the president's desk as the Man of Steel glared dangerously at him from across the floor, standing directly on the president's seal etched into the carpet. Luthor seemed cool and relaxed while Superman was seething in anger and almost poised to kill him. A callous smile played on his lips as he sat behind his desk.

"Finally taking the direct approach I see. Come in, have a seat. I've been expecting you for quite some time. And shut the door won't you? It gets a little drafty in here." he greeted snidely as though they were friends. The Man of Steel merely glowered at him as he stood over him.

"So tell me Superman is this how you imagined it would end? Or shall I just simply call you Clark?" he asked.

The Man of Tomorrow narrowed his eyes at Luthor who could see the effect he was having on him. A smile played on his face as he faced him.

"What's the matter? No witty comeback about how you're going to stop me? How Truth, Justice and the American Way will always prevail over me?" Luthor mocked and noted the intensity of his adversary's glare.

"No, I can see it in your eyes your not here for justice, you here for revenge. You always knew it would come to this didn't you? That I wouldn't stop until I finally pushed you over the edge. And all it took was rubbing out a few of your friends." He added gesturing towards his wall.

His eyes switched over to the wall Luthor was pointing at and could see four framed front-page newspaper articles about the recent tragedies in his life. Superman seethed in anger as he read off each of them. The first one of the Washington Post reading in big black letters 'Superman Exposed!' publishing his secret identity, with his picture in uniform in the very middle. With a smaller article off to the side declaring his real name as Clark Kent. And the subsequent attacks that followed in his civilian identity. With a third article showing Daily Planet editor Perry White's shock at Superman's identity.

A second framed headline was of the Daily Planet's front-page reading: 'Superman Paramour, Lois Lane injured in Assassination Attempt.' While the bottom half of the front page featured a related story reading: reading 'Superman's Pal, Jimmy Olsen also critical in botched assassination attempt. May not survive.'

The third framed article was also of The Daily Planet reading 'Beloved Editor Assassinated. Long time Daily Planet editor Perry White found dead in his office. Luthor may be responsible.' And the forth and final article reading 'Daily Planet closes after attacks. Prints last issue today.' Superman crackled his fist in anger remembering the day the Daily Planet was bombed. That it was delivered to Perry's office in a small brown box, and how no one was expecting it when it went off. Perry was the first to go as he opened it, and took out his office. The blast was small but sufficient as Clark dove to protect Lois but couldn't protect Jimmy in time who was in the crosshairs.

And was horrified at what had happened, his first thought was to check on Jimmy who was caught up in the blast. If he had grabbed him before lunging to protect Lois he could have saved him. Lois was unhurt and immediately rushed to Jimmy's side as Clark went to check on Perry only to find his office demolished and Perry a burning husk. A funeral was held a few days later as he was laid to rest and Jimmy was hospitalized. Lois would then be kidnapped by Luthor's men in an ambulance posing as paramedics and shot her inside the ambulance before Superman could even think to reach her.

She'd been hit in the stomach at close range while an enraged Superman attacked the ambulance ramming it on it's side with Lois and Jimmy inside and beat the stuffing out of the men who attacked her. In the present day his knuckles cracked as he starred daggers back at Luthor who sat casually behind his desk. The forth and final framed article was of the Daily Planet's closing following the attack. Luthor smiled behind his desk even as Superman's anger grew.

"Your friends and collogues were all defiant till the end. Especially your former boss, the things he would write about Me." he said in an amused tone.

"How I was really a mass murdering psychopath that would do anything to earn a quick buck. Never retracted a statement once despite numerous threats of libel among other things. He never backed down from me one time even when I threatened his life. Such men are hard to find these days. However it seems as though your little girlfriend and photographer friend were just as defiant as he was. It's a shame what happened to them though. I've already taken away what was precious to you. Question is, can you do the same? Are you willing to do what it takes to finish me off once and for all? Or are you going to buckle underneath your inane standards like you always do?" he said in a more controlled voice.

His adversary however showed enormous control by not shoving the entire executive desk down his nemesis' throat, while Luthor continued to cruelly taunt him.

"All your power and you cant do a damn thing about it. You can't kill someone no matter how deserving of death they are even when they hurt the ones you care about most. You could never do what was necessary Superman, not even with stakes like this. Your only option at this rate is to fail. Even if you put me away in jail it wont solve anything. People are dead because of your inaction. Well I'm a man of action and I've always believed in getting it right the first time. So now I'm going to end things here personally." He said drawing a gun on him.

The Man of Steel never wavered with the gun pointed directly in his face even as Luthor held a luminescent green bullet in his hand.

"You see what this is Superman? I'm about to do the one thing you never could. I'm eliminating the competition once and for all. Say hello to Perry for me." he grinned cocking his pistol.

Superman grabbed his wrist breaking it in the next instant as he drew back his fist and punched Luthor in the face, sending him through the oval office window. And flipped the desk out at him as he fell. Outside the heavy wooden desk flew at him as Luthor activated his rocket shoes and evaded the falling furniture as Superman lunged out the window towards him with arms above his head. The Man of Steel yelled as he punched Luthor again in the face. The crimelord fired a kryptonite bullet tearing the edge of his cape as Superman punched his torso and sent him into the front gate.

Luthor fired his rockets again as Kal-El came at him and took dead aim with his pistol and fired at close range. A flash of light washed over as the Man of Steel caught the bullet in his hand horrifying Luthor as Superman stared back at him. And threw the bullet back at him, deliberately missing him and impaling a stone pillar by the front gate behind him. A small cut appeared on Luthor's left earlobe a moment later as Luthor sponged it with his hand and saw his fingertip saturated with blood and wore a mixture of outrage and shock towards the Man of Steel. To think he could hit him with such pinpoint accuracy was unnerving to the overlord. And twisted his features into a hideous scowl enraged that the Kryptonian was toying with him.

"That's the problem with you Luthor. You can dish it out, but you can never take what others give you." his adversary finally stated. Luthor gripped the handle of his glock as it quaked violently in his hand.

"I could crush you anytime I want Luthor. And as much as I want to right now…I wont. You could never play at my level Luthor. With all your toys and gadgets you'll only be second best to me. A lowly, cowardly, miserable shell of a man." Superman said in a low serious voice as he walked towards him. Throwing his archenemy into a rage.

The industrialist roared pressing a button on his belt buckle multiple bomb blasts went off around them as Luthor stood up and a small green rocket ship flew at him. The super criminal threw out his arms as the rocket transformed into a mech suit and enveloped his body in an instant and rushed at Superman hitting him in the face knocking him back. The enraged industrialist continued to pummel Superman's face with his fists, till Clark grabbed and threw him over his shoulder. The villain roared firing a barrage of rockets from his wrists as his opponent stood his ground and was engulfed in the blast.

Luthor grit his teeth as Superman came out of the inferno and hit him several times in the face. Luthor recovered using a wrist mounted gatling gun and fired as bullets bounced off his chest and was again struck in the face by Superman throwing him into the roof of the White House. Recovering almost inhumanly fast Luthor leveled a much larger rocket at the Man of Steel who flew past it as it exploded and broke Luthor's jaw with a right hook. Luthor swung around with an opposing elbow as Superman caught it and flipped him on his back. Luthor whirled around firing his Gatling gauntlet at his ankles who leaped and forced Luthor through the roof into the office below crushing his gatling gauntlet underfoot as Luthor yelled as lightning crackled from it. Superman grabbed his opponent as Luthor opened his chest plate firing a full powered blast of Kryptonite throwing Superman through a wall.

The villain got up a moment later cradling his right arm as it hung off to the side his Kryptonite chest reactor still glowing. Cautiously followed his mortal enemy into the next room and saw no trace of him at first. The Man of Steel roared and tackled Luthor with a forearm to the throat as he flew back punching the Kryptonite reactor shattering the large chunk that was as big as Luthor's chest, and splintered into several large chunks. The pair flew out of the Oval Office one more in slow motion and punching through the stomach of his mech armor rupturing it. And crashed into the front lawn in an explosion of dirt and debris as the ground shook.

As the dust cleared Luthor was laying flat on his back spread eagle, electricity crackling from it as the Man of Steel stood over him his right fist bleeding profusely from the Kryptonite. Luthor groaned struggling to get up but was unable to his chest and shoulders barely lifted before falling flat and losing consciousness. The Man of Steel stood stone faced over him his fallen opponent.

"You never stood a chance." He stated.

At the Light's secretive HQ, Secret Society leader Vandal Savage watched the battle from his command center with numerous screens before him. The scar faced Vandal watched with little regard for fellow L-2 member Lex Luthor

"Seems as though Luthor has run into some trouble." Queen Bee said walking up behind him. The scar-faced man narrowed his eyes at the monitor and said nothing at first.

"The Justice League has already defeated two of our members. How are they?" he asked with no real concern over them.

"Klarion will be all right, but Ocean Master and Black Manta are in critical condition following Atlantis. It seems as though the boy got the best of them." Queen Bee stated.

"And now Luthor joins their ranks." Vandal said looking at the monitor.

"Can't say he doesn't deserve it. So what do we do? At the rate their moving it'll be a matter of time before they get to us. We're all that's left of the leadership." Queen Bee said concerned. Vandal continued staring at the screen and narrowed his eyes even more.

"It wont come to that. Launch the countermeasures. It's time the League is shown its place in the world." He answered. Queen Bee nodded and went over to a nearby council behind Vandal and entered a key code.

In the depths of their base was a laboratory not unlike the one Superboy was once raised in. In this lab were six individual beings kept in stasis pods, each wearing their own unique costume. The first was a slender man with long white hair, and Caucasian features wearing a white solar costume with a gold inverted triangle and a circle in the middle of his chest. While the one next to him was dressed in a black costume with an overcoat and black cowl covering his face, with his symbol being an eclipsed moon on his chest. While the other projects' features were eschewed by the reflective glass pods further down the line. The man in the white suit opened his eyes with a menacing stare.

Further down the line more of the subjects started to awaken including the man in black, a winged female humanoid dressed in green, a second female coated in a metallic skin seemingly without clothes. And further still down the line was a mechanical construct in dark armor with green glowing lines throughout it's body armor. And had a black featureless face other than the small half ellipse shape where it's eyes were as it came on line, with glowing red eyes. Upon closer inspection inside the robot's chest cavity was an active Green Lantern Power Battery with a slew of metallic cables running through it. Even closer still a live Green Lantern Power Ring resided within the battery's core that hovered freely inside it.

As the robot came on line, it's designation was made clear on the outside of it's stasis pod reading: Project: Green Lantern, alias: Hard Drive.

The robot awakened as the stasis pods on the other subjects opened up letting each one out in succession before the android's release. The other pods reading from far right to left starting with the man in white read: Project: Sun God, alias: Apollo. The man in the black overcoat and cowled mask reading Project: Dark Eclipse: alias, Midnighter. The winged female humanoid read Project: Thanagar, alias: Swift. The metallic woman's pod read Project: Builder, alias: Engineer. While the fifth one read Project: Mercy, alias: Doctor whose form was hidden from sight. While the sixth and final pod slid open releasing the aforementioned Project: Green Lantern now codenamed Hard Drive as it stepped out and joined its brethren.

The six figures stood in a row as they awaited command from their superiors. At that same time a team of specialists were helping prep an African-American operative as he climbed inside a red and white mech suit that was as tall as he was. The chest plate was split open down the middle, as he was strapped in. The suit was primarily red with a white chest plate giving it a muscled appearance, featuring a blue circle with red outline and a yellow lightning bolt as it's chest symbol. The front of the suit slid shut as the logo spun and hissed showing it was sealed. Once he was inside the armor the pilot was outfitted with a red matching helmet with wingtips on the sides and a blue visor with an inverted triangle shielding his identity.

With his teammates ready Project: Mercury codenamed Accel stood ready and waiting. Back in the Light's command center Queen Bee stood next to Vandal Savage as they peered at the monitors.

"It's time that we take back the planet." Vandal stated.

Author's Note: I dont know if it's extremely obnoxious of me to post a new chapter on a major American holiday or not. Since it's Thanksgiving and most of us will be away from the computer including myself. I figure Black Friday would be an even worse day to try. So let me know what you think of this chapter, if anyone reviews at all that is. lol. Hope you guys have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Please review,

Green Gallant.