The Men who Look Down on the World

Chapter five

8/06/2012

"How can you stop us if you can't touch us. The intangible gang is untouchable and therefore unstoppable." A man in a yellow suit says. His face is viable with his small whisker like mustache and darting black eyes. He speaks in a thick french accent and smiles at superman with a mouth that misses a couple front teeth. He is Keup De'veirs a former electronic engineer for Lex Corp. He was one of many team leaders for the construction of the LWM. He was fired along with half the staff for the project.

He got fired before he was caught stealing materials and was able to continue work on his molecule modification experiments. However when he was half finished with his mass modifier he ran out of funds. Now he needs more. The yellow suit he and the other six members of the Intangible Gang are wearing are the prototype modifiers. The modifiers in their current stage can only reduce the mass of molecules and return them to normal, it can't increase mass safely which would be a valued weapon. Still in their current stage they can be useful for stealing. He hired some local thugs and gave them the half completed modifiers and formed the Intangible Gang for this heist. He figured since a Luthor owed him money he should steal money from the Luthor owned Liberty Bell Bank. All went well until Superman shown up.

"Intangible Gang?" Superman says pointing to six people in yellow suits running away with sacks of cash and cops following them. "Good name, they all faded away from you..."

Keup looks around, "What? How dare they? I gave them the power. They owe me."

As Keup is distracted Superman grabs for him and his hand goes though Keup's body. "I am too smart for you Superman." Keup laughs as he points to his head. "I have the brains." He starts to run away holding the money he personally took. "I must remind myself to not hire the street thugs in the future."

Superman uses his microscopic vision to see a small device in Keup's ear. "Ah." That is why he pointed to his head, because he is controlling his suit with some device implanted in his head. Superman flies up above Keup as the french scientist uses his suit to phase though walls as he runs. Superman watches and waits for the right opportunity.

Keup looks up as he runs, "Ha Superman, you cannot stop me."

Superman ignores the French man's taunts keeping an eye on the device. He does not want to accidentally give Keup a lobotomy. Superman sees an opportunity and fires a weak heat blast out of his eyes. His aim is spot on and the device in Keup's ear starts to smoke. "Holy smoke." Keup pulls the device out of his ear and throws it to the ground. "Hot hot hot." He looks at Superman who is smiling at him. "That is rude."

Superman moves down to Keup in a split second, "I can touch you now." He grabs Keup by the hand.

"Ah you think so." With his free hand Keup activates the suits molecule control and he phases out of Superman's grasp. "Ah ha Superman. Another point for me, your superior." He goes into a roll under Superman and runs though a wall.

Superman notices that with out the head control system Keup needs to use the controls on his right sleeve to become intangible. Superman floats over to the other side of the wall and watches as Keup comes out of the brick wall. The moment Keup is tangible Superman grabs the man's right sleeve and in a flash rips it off before the French man can even react. "Fade away now."

Keup stops running looking at his torn shirt. The wires are sparking harmlessly and then stop, "No, no. That is not right." Keup whose only thought seems to be to run away tries to flee, now with his only advantage gone is grabbed by Superman.

"Dr. De'veirs, your technology could have been used for the good of mankind yet instead you use it to steal." Superman says as he flies Keup over the police where the Special Crimes Unit which specializes in out of the ordinary criminals like bank robbers that can phase though walls.

"Blame Lex Luthor, he did this to me." While not completely in correct Keup would have ended up in this state even if the LWM incident did not happen.

"People are responsible for their own actions. Lex Luthor did not make you put on a special suit and rob a bank. That was your own doing." Superman drops Keup down in front of a blond police officer who is looking at Superman with a superior glance and a sly smile. "Detective Sawyer, here is Dr. Keup De'veirs, the leader of the so called Intangible gang."

Maggie Sawyer nods but does not respond. She tolerates Superman's actions so far but the Special Crimes Unit exists to prove that Metropolis does not need a vigilante working outside the law. "Yeah, so what. We got three of them."

"Three?" Superman remembers that there were seven of them, Keup and six others.

"Yeah when you shown up the six goons fled in different direction. It was your presence that caused that. The other three, two men and a female escaped, given their technology they could be anywhere." Maggie motions for the four caught thieves to be taken into cop cars. "That is our job. We will find out who those criminals are and we will catch them. Thanks for your assistance Superman but we have this handled."

Superman wishes he has a friendlier relationship with the police. He would rather work with them even Batman has a working relationship with some of the cops in his city, yet Maggie Sawyer makes that hard. Of course Superman is happy that Metropolis has an effective police force that is trying to prove that they don't need a superhero's help. Still Superman just wants to do what he believes is needed, what he believes is right.

Superman flies off leaving the police to do their job. He flies high into the sky and then swoops down near the outer edge of Metropolis. Maybe if someone has a camera powered by the speed source they would see Superman flying in the Luthor manor and into a window on the third floor. In his bedroom Superman moves at super speed and in less then a second he is Kent Luthor. Kent looks at the clock and sees that it is nearly ten thirty in the morning.

Kent does not have to worry about anyone coming into his room when he is Superman, he is careful and there are no cameras in his room. The staff are under orders to not clean his room which is kept in great condition anyway. Kent is smart not to leave and enter from different places, if he was in his bed room before he had to become Superman he returns to his bed room. Kent is leaves nothing for chance and everything is done to his secret. His room is connected to his private office so he often spends hours in there. He does not believe the world is ready to know that Superman is actually Kent Luthor. For now it is best to believe that Superman is a full time superhero.

While he does not have any official meetings today there is something he has been putting off for a while. Something he has wanted to talk to his good friend Lana Lang about. She is only in town a couple more days so he needs to get this done soon. Kent walks out of his room and is greeted by members of his staff right away. He hired people that respect his privacy and he respects theirs. He is a likable boss, "Mr. Luthor I have been calling for you for a while, we have to leave soon if you are going to pick up Miss. Lang at the Metropolis Hilton." His butler Georg Barton says. Barton is an aging man who has worked for Lionel as the head of the house for as long as Kent can remember, at least as long as they have owned the Metropolis mansion. He is one of two full time employees that work and live in the house and the only one that works near Kent's room. Barton knows his employer is Superman.

"Thank you Georg." Kent says and then heads down stairs. Kent crosses though the dining hall on his way to the garage and takes an apple on his way out. Kent is not much of a big eater, he only has one major meal a day and that's diner. He only eats other meals when he has meetings or the like and just snacks before his lunch. His Kryptonian biology stores energy directly from the sun so he really does not have to eat at all these days. It's mainly to keep up appearances and because he likes food.

Entering the garage Rupert Rexton his driver is waiting for him with a blue limo, as he requested. "Good morning Mr. Luthor."

"Hey Rexton." He says as he walks over to the car. His driver opens the door for him and he gets in.

Before Rexton closes the door on Kent, "So we are picking up Ms. Lang at the Hilton and then head over to Luthor Media warehouse section at the Metropolis Storage Yard?" It was a strange order that Rexton was given and thinks it might have been a mistake. So he wants to make sure.

Kent nods his head, "That is correct Rexton."

"Understood sir." The driver closes the door and then gets in the driver's seat. He knows better then to question his orders but this one is strange. He writes down a note before he takes off, 'Kent is taking a Lana Lang to a warehouse, it might be the one Lex is interested in.' Rexton also works for Lex Luthor and Mercy his assistant told him to keep an eye and ear open for Kent doing anything related to that warehouse. Rexton feels bad having to do this to Kent but Lex is his boss too. He folds up the piece of paper and puts it in his pocket. He then starts the car and heads out of the garage.

The limo drives into the city into the down town area of Metropolis, there it parks in front of the Metropolis Hilton. A woman with long red hair and green eyes wearing a casual white skirt and matching shirt walks forward. She is the famous model and fashion designer Lana Lang dressed in clothing far too casual for someone of her stature. Still some people turned to look at her and other people took pictures, especially when she walked toward the sky blue limo. As the driver opens the door of Lana to enter someone is lucky to snap a picture of Kent Luthor as she enters. Some tabloid reporter is going to have a amazing but inaccurate story tomorrow morning.

Lana sighs as she enters the car. She has recently became disillusioned with this life and has a refreshing look on her face. Sitting down across from Kent she hugs him as the car takes off, "So glad you could pick me up. I'm sick of all the reporters, all the cameras. I need this break."

Kent smiles, "Finally, you have been so busy during this trip to Metropolis I thought I was going to miss you."

Lana nods her head, "Like I would come here without visiting my best friend?" Kent and Lana grew up in Smallville together and were best friends until high school when Kent went to the prestigious Legacy Academy instead of Smallville High. The two kept in touch writing letters and talking on the phone when ever they could but they moved apart. Still Lana is the person Kent turned to when he discovered his powers and first became Superman. He shown up to her house in costume and flew her around the world. He could not keep this secret to himself. There had to be someone he could trust and that person was Lana Lang.

"There is something I have wanted to show you for a while. I don't have much time and the longer I wait the greater the risk." Clark says. "It will take us thirty minutes at least to get to our destination so lets talk."

Lana points to the window, "Can he?" She figures this is Superman business and is talking about the driver.

"No it's sound proof and there are no listening devices, no bugs." Kent focuses his eyes for a second and scans the area with x-ray vision to make sure. Indeed there are no listening devices.

"This is Superman business I take it?" Lana says smiling.

"Yes it is. It's about my origin." Kent has knew there was something different about himself for a while. He knew of his powers for years. At first there were the accidents he should not have survived or walked away from unharmed. He was always faster, stronger, and smarter then everyone. Kent rarely got sick and he recovered much faster then others when he did catch something. It was not until his father died and he first walked into warehouse thirty four that he learned the truth of his powers. He became Superman not fulling knowing what made him special, he figured he was a meta human.

Lana just nods. "I see. So we are not going out to lunch?" She says pretending to be disappointed.

"Maybe later. No we are going to a Luthor Corp warehouse." She looks at him with a puzzled glance, "Yeah that does not sound very interesting but just wait it will be." Kent adjusts his weight and shrugs, "More on that later. How are you? How's Pete."

Pete Ross is Lana's Husband and the twenty seven year old mayor of Smallville. Two years older then Kent and Lana, Peter was a friend of Kent's early on but they moved apart. He was the best man as Pete and Lana's wedding but that was more for Lana's benefit then Pete's. "Content, constantly busy with his political career, he is not going to stop with Smallville. He is happy I'm retiring as a model."

"You are?" Kent has heard the rumors but he couldn't see Lana retiring. She always had endless energy and seemed to always need to keep busy.

"I have gotten bored of it. Besides as a fashion designer I should focus my attention on designing my clothes not wearing them. I can focus more on my art and I can do that at home." She sees the look in Kent's eyes, "I want this."

Kent gives her an innocent look. "What?"

"You were going to ask if Pete talked me into this. He didn't."

"I was not going to ask that."

She gives him her don't lie to me half smile and stare, "Really?"

Kent buckles, Lana knows him too well. "Okay you got me." Kent sighs, "Then I am really glad I caught you today. I might not get another chance. Hey Lana?"

"Yes?"

"I have thought about this for a while and I have decided to have Superman give at interview to the public." Kent takes a deep breath. "I have chosen Lois Lane."

Lana has a cold expression on her face, "Well she's a good reporter I give her that. Not who I would choose though." She then remembers something, "Wait you own the Daily Planet."

"That's not it." Kent shakes his head, "Lois is unbiased, she is not going to alter her interview to serve her own opinion. She will be fair and will tell it how it is. I also believe she will respect Superman's secrets, and not press to hard."

Lana nods, she has gotten that impression from Lois the few times she met her. "You made the right choice Kent."

The conversation went on for the rest of the drive, the two close friends talked about what has been going on recently. Kent talked about his father's passing and the will. About how Lex is doing and how he rarely sees his older brother these days. He talked about seeing his sister once a month and how her conduction seems to be worse all the time. Kent wishes he could see his sister more often but Professor Potter limits her interaction with others. Kent did bring up some of the recent crimes he dealt with as Superman and how the police are slowly coming to accept him as an ally. Lana talks about her life, about the small town of Smallville and how her husband is doing. She also talks about her fashion line and her choice to step down as a model. Eventually Kent comes to realize that that yes it is her own choice.

The limo drives into a warehouse district of Metropolis, Luthor Corp owns about seven of the twenty warehouses in this district. Luthor Corp owns forty five warehouses in the Metropolis area, thirty five are part of Luthor Technologies now known as Lex Corp. Thirty four of those warehouses belong to Lex and one known as warehouse thirty four belongs to Kent. The limo drives up to a normal looking building and stops.

Rexton gets out of the drivers seat and opens the passenger's door. Looking in he smiles, "Mr. Luthor, Ms. Lane we have arrived."

"Thank you Rexton." Kent says as he gets out and then offers a hand for Lana and helps her out of the car. "Rexton we will be a while. You can leave but don't get to far away. I will call when we are done."

"Understood sir." Rexton walks back to drivers door gets in and then takes off.

Kent waits until he sees the limo drive away. He does not completely trust Rexton, there is no one he trusts in this matter. He does not walk to the warehouse Rexton stops him in front of. While it's marked Luthor Corp warehouse thirty four it's not. "Where are you going Kent?" Lana asks as she sees Kent walking past the warehouse.

"That is an abandoned warehouse owned by my father that he has marked as warehouse thirty four. It's empty." He walks over to the boarded up warehouse with no markings. A warehouse that from the outside looks abandoned and in bad shape. "This is warehouse thirty four."

Lana does not understand why they would need to hide this. She mutters something about the rivalry between brothers which Kent heard but shrugged off. "So what's so important about this warehouse?"

Kent does not answer her and walks over to the boarded up door. He lifts up the broken lamp on the wall and underneath is an electronic card reader. Kent takes out a card from his wallet and places it into the reader. He then inputs a code that his father gave him. The boarded up door slides to the left showing the real door. This steel door has two key locks and another electronic lock, all three are locked.

Lana looks at the door, "Wow Lionel really has something to hide."

Kent turns and smiles, "Yes he does." He inputs the password to the electronic lock and then took out his keys and unlocked the other two doors. The door opens up and Kent walks a few feet and then switches a switch that turns on the lights and starts the fans over head.

While the building looks dilapidated and abandoned on the outside on the inside the place looks new and up to date. It's also clean despite Kent being the only one who enters this warehouse. Following Kent down the hall Lana does not see anything strange or out of the ordinary in the building. "So what's the big secret?"

"Secrets, there are two of them, but only one of them is important for now. The ship is what we want." The hall splits going two directions, there is a door to the left with warning signs for high voltage and not to being any electronics to the area. The other direction, to the right looks normal, no warning signs leading to the door and the security seems less extensive.

Lana watches as Kent walks over to the right and stops, "Whats over there?" She points to the left.

Kent turns his head, "That's the Brainiac master computer. It's not important right now." Kent walks over to the door down the right path and slowly opens it. One by one the lights in the large storage floor of the warehouse turn on lighting up the room little by little. There is a large screen in the room that is turned off and many strange looking items. A small device with three lamp like devices pointing down, the base of the device has inscriptions written in an alien language. Next to it is a small green and blue egg shaped object hooked up to a complex looking computer. A few feet away from that device is a much larger egg shaped device, with three wings that look like they were used for flight stabilization. Kent walks into the room and points to the ship and the other two items, "This is what's important."

Lana looks at the three alien objects with wonder, "Wow, so your an alien?"

"Yes, I'm from the planet Krypton." Kent says softly.

"Krypton?" Lana heard that word before, living in Smallville all her life the word Krypton is an important part of their history. The 'Rains of Krypton' is the name of the meteor shower that happened twenty five years ago. Lana was only three months old when it happened but she lost her father in that storm and it's local history so she learned about it early on. "This makes perfect sense." Lana says quietly.

Kent frowns tears form at his eyes, "Yes it does. I came to Earth during the meteor shower. My ship was sent to Earth and remains of my planet followed it. In a sense I caused the meteor shower." Kent Luthor knows he had no control over it but that does not make him feel any better.

Lana hugs her best friend lightly, "You had no control over that. Don't blame yourself."

"You're right of course. I just hate thinking about it. I could not have stopped what happened to my planet and my birth father could not have known my ship would take pieces of the planet with it, or that those pieces would rain down on Earth." Kent realizes he talking to fast and sees Lana is having trouble catching up. "Let me start from the beginning."

"Okay."

"You remember when I first decided to become Superman ten months ago? When I saved Air Force One from crashing into downtown Metropolis? And how when I got home you surprised me by calling my home phone and thanking me for saving the president? I was so happy to know you figured it out, that I had someone to talk to about my powers."

Lana smiles, she has always had sharp eyes and saw things others seemed to miss. "After what I saw you do during our years in Smallville I knew Superman had to be you. However I was joking when I called you. I did not expect you to show up at my house a minute later and fly me around the world. That was amazing."

"Yes it was." Kent walks over to the TV screen on the other side of the room from the alien items. "I learned after my dad died that he knew I was Superman the whole time, and that he was proud of me. He wanted me to tell him but I never did. I never knew he kept this secret from me." He turns on the screen and plays the DVD that is already in the computer. "I was shocked to see a Luthor Technology warehouse in my half of the will, at first glance I thought it was a mistake but I wanted to check it out before I gave it to my brother. Now I know that Lex can't see whats in this warehouse. This video turned on automaticly the first time I walked in here."

Kent offers Lana a seat, "Thank you." She says as she sits down. Kent then starts the message.

An old Lionel Luthor appears on the screen, he is weak looking with his eyes are sunken and blood shot. His hair is white and fading with a large bald spot. Lionel has been suffering from brain cancer for a while when this message was recorded. This was about two months after Superman became active as a hero. It was also the last time Lionel was able to leave the hospital as his health took a turn for the worst shortly after this was recorded.

"Kent my son you already know there is something different about you." Lionel says with a weak voice coughing between sentences. "There were accidents you should not have survived, like that drunk driver when you first got your license. You rarely got sick and you recovered quicker then everyone else when you did catch something. You seemed to get stronger every year, at first you were just a little ahead of everyone else but then your abilities sky rocked. I knew you were that masked man, that Superman, when he first appeared to save the president. I could not have been more proud." Lionel goes into a coughing fit, "If there is one thing I wished though it would be that you came to me. I'm sure you were wondering what was different about you and I could have told you, I should have told you. It just never felt like the right time."

Lionel walks around the room and the camera follows him. There is no camera man just a motion sensor. In his weak state Lionel is shaking as he takes each step and seems to be on the verge of falling to the ground. He is held up only by a cane. He walks over to the spacecraft that brought Kent Luthor to Earth, "This is where I found you. You are not the child of the Kents like everyone believes, their child sadly died with them. You are a child from the stars. I'm not sure where exactly but if that meteor astronomer Dr. Tourp is right." Lionel says Tourp's name with bile and hatred. "Then you're from the planet Krypton same as the meteors. That only makes sense."

Lionel takes out two small objects from the ship, "These two items were sent with you in your ship when I found you. I don't know what they do. They are written in an alien language and I don't understand it." Lionel stops for a second and coughs, also he seems to be trying to remember something. "Also they refuse to work. This small egg like device has what I think is a DNA scanner and it won't accept me. Maybe it will work for you my son." Lionel smiles, "I think the answers to your questions are hidden in these two devices. I think they will tell you who you are and where you came from."

Lionel coughs for a while and then staggers away from the ship, he walks to the door and continues talking, "Before I continue I have to warn you son, be careful. There are people searching for what is hidden in this warehouse. People who will stop at nothing to get the secrets hidden inside. You should move the ship and the other items out of the warehouse before that happens. It is only a matter of time before Lex finds the warehouse. He does not care about the ship though. No he wants the Brainiac master computer, which sadly can't be moved." Lionel walks out of the room with the camera still following him and heads to the other part of the warehouse. Kent turns off the video.

"Why did you cut it off?" Lana asks.

"It's better if you don't know that. It's family business." Kent does not want to put Lana into any more danger then he already has. "Besides this is more important. I know what these things are." He walks over to the small egg shaped device. "This is a repository of my planet's history and knowledge. It is a computer called E-tor and as my father theorized it indeed only works for Kryptonians."

Lana nods, "So who are you Kent Luthor?"

"I am Kal El, Son of Jor El of Kryptonopolis the capital of Krypton. I am about to show you the message my birth father left me." Kent will always see Lionel as his real father, the one who raised him. He presses his palm up to E-tor's green top. The top glows orange and makes in imprint of his hand.

A projection of a blue nondescript, and blurry face appears above the egg shaped device as Kent moves his hand away, "Welcome back Kal El." A soft, kind static riddled voice says looking at Kent. The face sees Lana, and back at Kent, "Master Kal is she with you?"

Lana laughs, "Master Kal? I can't see you as a master." It is a kind laugh toward a friend which means no disrespect.

"Yes E-tor." Kent says ignoring Lana, "She is with me. I keep no secrets from Lana"

E-tor nods and then looks at Lana, "I am E-tor, I am Krypton."

"Nice to meet you E-tor." Lana waves to him since E-tor has no arm to shake.

E-tor looks at her with a puzzled look, it then moves over to Kent, "Master Kal why have you activated me? Is it time for a memory update already?"

Kent looks at Lana, "E-tor has been trying to restore his data since I activated him. E-tor can explain it better. Yes E-tor give me a status update."

"There was a loss of data due to the nature of the landing on this planet. I was corrupted as I entered the atmosphere and part of my data was expunged. I have recovered eighty one percent of my data." The computer head raises it's eyebrow, "I have came up with a conclusion to what happened to the rest of the data. It is a 90% certainty. Should I go ahead?"

Kent sees himself as a bridge between Lana and E-tor so Lana can understand better. "Apparently E-tor was damaged during our trip to earth and lost some of it's data. We have been attempting to recover it but E-tor believes some of the data was lost for good. Go ahead E-tor."

"I do not believe the data was lost for good." E-tor corrects. "I believe that the data was transferred to a suitable data storage device, a computer here on Earth."

Kent shakes his head. "But E-tor we have discussed this no such computer existed in 1987. None but Brainiac and it was dormant until my father woke it up." Lana is more and more interested in Brainiac and is wondering why Kent is avoiding that.

"That is the only conclusion, the only answer." The computer says, logically that is all it can think of.

Kent knows that arguing with the computer is pointless. E-tor is logic to a fault. Besides that's not why he's here. "E-tor enough about that. Could you play Jor El message one please?"

The blue head nods, "Yes Master Kal." The blue head fades away and is replaced by a life sized translucent hologram of Jor El and Lara Ken's Mother and father.

Jor El is tall and large looking close in build to Kent, but older. His hair is graying at the temples and he has a beard and mustache. He is wearing a blue and red suit with a sun in the center of it, the crest of the house of El. He has a somber look on his face like a man who knows something grave is about to happen. He's not wrong. Lara standing next to him is six inches shorter then her husband. She is smiling but there is a false feel to her smile. She has dark brown hair and light blue eyes, Kent got his eyes from his mother. She is hugging Jor El with one hand. "Hello son." Jor El begins, "I am Jor El and this is Lara we are your parents. You are our son Kal El. You are the last son of Krypton, the only survivor of our planet. You have the potential to do great things. You have a great destiny ahead of you son."

Lara nods, she smiles at her son and looks at him like she can see him. It is a semi interactive recorded message so she does in a sense see him and Lana, "Remember that we love you. It was because of our love that we sent you away. So you can live and so that a part of us and our world survives."

"Yes my son." Jor El continues. "You are Krypton. Along with this computer which is a data base of our history and the phantom zone projector you are all that remains of Krypton. You must honor your birthright but not let it control you. You are a child of Earth more so then Krypton. It will be your experiences on Earth that built you as a man. The choices you made are due to your upbringing Earth. Yet you are greater then a normal human. On Earth's lower gravity and yellow sun you have powers beyond those of the average man. The limits of a Kryptonian's abilities under yellow sun radiation have never been fully researched, or measured. You are a god among these people. On Earth you could rule them though fear or guide them with compassion. You could create a new golden age."

"E-tor stop recording." Kent commands and the image flickers and stops. He looks at Lana, "Well?"

Lana was listening to the whole thing and thinking, "What can I say. This is... wow. So your parents want you to take over the world?"

"Not exactly. It's all about choices. They say I could, I could make the world a better place if I ruled completely. I could stop war and poverty, end hunger, if I took command of everything." He stops, "I can't do that though. I don't have the right to take freedom of choice away from others. I want to make the world a better place but not that way. Not by seizing control."

Lana hugs Kent happy that is his answer, "I'm sure that's what they want. They are not telling you to take over after all."

Kent feels reassured. "E-tor continue recording."

The images of Jor El and Lara start back up. "Or you could just watch the world continues on the path it's on now. You might not want to mess with the progress of Earth. That could be dangerous if you decide to take over but it is your choice. When you were sent off to earth it was the end of their 18th century. It took your ship about one hundred years to reach Earth. In that time you were in suspended animation and will not age. Earth's current advancements are similar to what history states about Krypton in the distant past. The planet seems to be reaching a period of quick discovery and who is to say what their technology level will be when you arrive."

Jor El lowers his voice and speaks a bit more somber, "They are a violent people, one who could benefit from being guided but then again so was Krypton. Perhaps they have to go though wars like we did. They are also capable of great beauty and compassion. Remember it is your home now. You must take the good and the bad Earth has to offer. Hopefully you had good parents and a good upbringing."

Lara then pipes in a final line. "This world will need you Kal El. Never forget that."

The image turns off and E-tor's nondescript blue face reappears. "Is that all master Kal?"

"Yes E-tor you can sleep." Kent waits for the blue face to fade away and for the computer to go dead. "Well Lana?"

"I think I know you better but I have a feeling there is more going on."

Kent nods. "I can't tell you everything. I don't know everything. I know not to mess with the Phantom Zone Projector." He points over at the third item, "It is a prison holding the worst criminals in Krypton's history. From what I understand the 'Phantom zone' is another reality where the rules of time don't apply and every criminal locked in there from the dawn of history to when the planet died is still there. They can never be allowed to escape. I need to take it far away from here."

"Far away?"

"Yes." Kent smiles, "I plan on moving all the Kryptonian artifacts to this place I found in the arctic. It's an abandoned colony hidden deep in the ice from an ancient civilization. I am planning on using it as my home away from home. A fortress of solitude if you will." He frowns, "I just wish I could take Brainiac there. That's the problem."

"You keep mentioning Brainiac. You say it takes up half this warehouse? Brainiac, that's the processor Luthor computers use right?"

Kent nods, "They are based loosely on the real Brainiac. Using a portion of it's specs."

Lana realizes the emotion on Kent's face, it took her a while to pin point it because she did not believe Kent knew that feeling, "Fear. You fear this Brainiac? What is Brainiac?"

"From what I understand it's an alien computer beyond Kryptonian technology. Do I fear Brainiac?" Kent shakes his head, "I don't know. Brainiac is unpredictable, it fights me, and I can't understand it. I can't shut it off, I can't scan it, also the one time I had E-tor try to understand Brainiac it tried to take E-tor over. I cannot destroy Brainiac ether. I tried to once and it predicted and countered all my attacks. I would move Brainiac to the Arctic if I could but it can't be moved. It has integrated itself with the warehouse. Brainiac is planning something and I don't know what. I all can do is keep it from escaping, to isolate it here."

Lana nods, it is fear she understands that. The fear of not knowing. This is Kent Luthor the man of tomorrow, the man who can do everything. "So you are you going to do with it?"

"Everything I can to keep it out of Lex's hands. Lex wants Brainiac, my father told me so. My father, Lionel used Brainiac as the basis of his computer empire, eventually he stopped using Brainiac and stopped accepting the computer's help. It's obsession to be free frightened my father, there is something malevolent about Brainiac."

"And Lex wants it why? How does he even know about it?"

"Lionel mentioned a mainframe computer on occasion during the early days of Luthor technology. Lex knows it's the basis for the computer designs and operating system. Yet he never showed Brainiac to Lex. Lex is very smart and thrives on knowledge. He wants nothing more then to find Brainiac just to know what his father was hiding from him. Even if it's useless. Lex wants Brainiac and Brainiac wants to be free and neither of those should be allowed to happen." Kent does not even like talking about Brainiac in the warehouse and hates talking bad about Lex. He loves his brother and believes he's a good person just misguided.

Lana feels a chill and can't stay here any longer. "Why don't we leave and go get a late lunch."

Kent takes her hand, "You read my mind Miss Lang." he lives her a brotherly kiss on the cheek and then they walk out.