Chapter Twenty-Seven
"Limitless undying love which shines around me like a
million suns and calls me on and on…"
Metropolis
High above the teaming streets in an office of steal and glass, Lex Luthor sits smiling. He reaches over and opens the hand crafted teak box on his desk and takes out a Cohiba. His smile widens. Sniping off the end with his platinum cigar cutter, he gently rolls the end between his lips savoring the rich, dark earthy taste before striking a wood match and lighting up. The strong, heavy smoke fills his mouth and throat as he closes his eyes to enjoy the moment.
As always the cigar delivers on its promise of pleasure. As satisfying as it is, Lex knew that the greatest pleasure is the unexpected one. Found money always feels just a little better than earned money. So the recent developments surrounding Superman are a gift out of nowhere to Lex.
The Germans have such a marvelous word for it, Schadenfreude, pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others. There is no equivalent in the English language. Most people would never admit they have it, but deep down Lex knows everyone does. It's what makes people slow down for car accidents or run outside to watch a neighbor's house on fire. You'll never go broke if you bet on the fact that the bigger the misfortune, the bigger the interest.
Lex chuckles to himself at the quirk of fate that he has nothing to do with Superman's suffering, it is all self-induced. Swiveling his chair around to look out over the city, Lex finds himself in a remarkable situation. Superman, his nemesis, has given Lex a rare thing, a totally win-win situation.
On the one hand, Lex is overjoyed to hear Superman is in love. In fact Lex wishes the happy couple the best, even wishes they marry and have children. That would just provide more distractions and weaknesses for Lex to exploit. Striking at his family would wound Superman far more than any direct attack.
On the other hand the public is turning on Superman. Lex has spent millions upon millions of dollars trying to do just that in the past with little success. Now it is costing him nothing. The fear of the unknown, the stranger, is as old as Man. Lex knows that while everyone thinks of themselves as or want to be an outsider, once they actually are it's a lonely, frightening place to be. Those usual friendly smiles turn quickly into looks of fear.
Humans by design are pack or herd animals. They carve social interaction. A newborn withers and dies without contact. This holds true for all sentient life forms. Isolation is only for zealots or madmen.
In Lex's mind what could be worse for a hero than to have their adoring public turn away from them? Aren't that all grandstanding attention whores when you get right down to it? Superman is the worst of the whole bunch. Since his first appearance the public has been falling all over itself to worship at his feet. He'd even been able to overcome trying to take over the planet for Darkseid.
Lex knows if he tried that, they would lock him up and throw away the key. Now the worm is turning. Those devoted fans are slowly peeling away from their Kryptonian hero. Lex can almost taste the pain it has to be causing Superman.
And for what, Lex thinks?
Love.
All his schemes and plots have not done what love is doing to Superman. No matter which path he chooses, Superman will suffer. For once, Lex isn't going to interfere. He is just going to sit back and watch the people turn away from Superman because he wants the same thing they did, love.
No evil genius, even one as brilliant as Lex could come up with such a delicious irony.
As Lex looks out over the city, he can't help thinking the sun seems a little warmer, the sky a little bluer and the future a little brighter.
Space
The javelin slips silently through the ether of space. Communications with the Tower ended several hours ago. Clark could have easily flown here on his own, but figured he would take advantage of the League's resources to familiarize himself with the planet before he arrived.
Primus 5 was a black rock, a dead planet. It was five times the size of Jupiter and orbited binary stars. Every twelve point four years it passed between the two. The resulting heat and radiation negated any long-term settlement. It nearly tore the planet apart each time. Its surface was blasted smooth like glass. The two things that made it of any interested were an abundance of natural resources, which were only now being tapped and it's location. It sat in unclaimed space, but many worlds coveted its hidden wealth. Rann and Thanagar being the closest had a long running dispute over who ultimately possess it. They weren't the only ones, as the sheer amount and diversity of resources attracted many interested parties.
The invitation was suspicious, but if there was a chance for the League to help bring a resolution, Clark was willing to go. Why only him though? Diana was much more of a diplomat and would have been useful on such a trip. It would have made the trip much more pleasant to have a friend along, but that was the request, so Clark came alone.
As the javelin entered the system, Clark received his first surprise. Orbiting the planet were ships from most of the known worlds. Every conceivable design and configuration was represented. Rann, Thanagar, New Genesis, The Spider Guild, the Guardians, even Apokolips were among the worlds that had sent ships.
As he moved his ship closer, Clark saw a huge structure had been erected on the surface of the planet. It seemed to literally stretch for miles. Nothing in the database spoke of this, so he assumed it was built to house the conference.
As he silently moved into orbit around the world, the communicator came to life.
"Please identify yourself." A dry voice asked.
"The representative from the Justice League," Clark replied. "I'm assuming standard orbit."
"Please beam down as soon as you can, Superman," the voice said. "We've been waiting for you."
United Nations
To the hundreds that stopped and gawked in awe, Princess Diana was the picture of regal serenity. Her cool outward demeanor only projected calm and poise. Inside, the princess was no happy. Since her confrontation with Power Girl, she had been boiling every time she thought of it. Those blunt harsh words still reverberated in Diana's mind. The woman had no concept of the suffering her sisters had endured, and yet she had the timidity to accuse the Amazons of being defined by fear?
It took all of Diana's will power not to teach Power Girl a lesson on what it means to insult an Amazon. Thankfully, Bruce had stepped in or there would have been no turning back once the first blow was struck.
It didn't help Diana's mood that as the representative of the League she had to endure question after question about Kal's relationship with that woman during her monthly briefing of the UN. It shouldn't be Diana answering questions about Kal's relationship it should be Power Girl. As if to twist the knife even deeper, Power Girl had adopted a new strategy with the media. No matter what they asked, she would reply no comment and fly off.
That left others, specifically Diana, as the representative of the League to answer them. Diana was diplomatic with her answers, but secretly she didn't have a clue why Kal was with Power Girl. If she'd been honest she didn't even like the idea of him dating her. Diana had never really been that fond of Power Girl and the latest episode did nothing to change that opinion. What Kal saw in her, besides the obvious, Diana didn't understand. In Diana's mind, Power Girl was all wrong for Kal. The more she thought about it the surer Diana was. Kal was her best friend, so she knew him better than anyone. In many ways he was naïve and too eager to see the good in everyone, Diana thought. Someone needed to look out for him, someone with a warrior's instincts about how the world worked and a dignified touch to handle the inevitable questions.
To Diana's thinking he needed someone strong yet compassionate, that would look beyond his physical appearance and gifts to the real man underneath. Someone that shares his hopes for the world and believes in his mission. He needs someone that could challenge him, not just physically but mentally. Someone that has a strong sense of self and wouldn't be intimidated by who he is and could stand shoulder to shoulder with him and face the eyes and questions of the world and beyond. That definitely wasn't Power Girl.
The more she thought about it, the more Diana knew Power Girl was completely wrong for him. While Diana was raised to not be ashamed of her body, she also had a sense of decency. To gratuitously show it off the way Power Girl did in that outfit of hers, struck Diana as immodest. The young woman was practically flaunting her body and no warrior would behave like that. She might as well be asking people to leer at her, Diana thought. No, Diana decided, Power Girl was definitely wrong for Kal. He deserved better, much, much better, someone like…
Before Diana could complete this thought in her mind, reporters shouted out to her. Willing herself to remain calm, Diana turned to face them. She knew the questions that were coming, and patiently answered each and every one of them.
Primus 5
Clark had greeted all the delegates to the conference and took his place among them. He was ready to offer any assistance he or the League could, but as the first meeting when on, it seemed the participants were more interested in him than resolving the disputes about Primus 5. At first he assumed it was just an initial get together meeting like most conferences, but as it went on he began to notice other things. Far from being at each other's throats, the delegates from Rann and Thanagar seemed to be of one mind and it was focused on him. The Guardians said very little, yet Clark could feel them watching him the whole time. Some delegates were openly hostile towards him. When the meeting finally adjourned for a meal break, Clark walked out with more questions than he'd arrived with.
As he made his way around one of the outer rings of the temporary structure, his mind ran over and over everything that had transpired since his arrival. He knew he wasn't alone, even before he heard that distinct sizzle of her whips against the floor. Even deep in thought, he couldn't miss that particular heartbeat. He turned and looked down the dark hallway. Slowly she emerged, that familiar predatory smile on her face.
"Hello, Kal-El, it is good to see you."
The words seemed to drip from her full lips suggestively. Everything about her was suggestive. Clark stood still as she moved towards him. For a woman her size, she moved with the sensual fluid grace of a dancer or more accurately, a stripper. Her skintight black outfit left nothing to the imagination as she brushed provocatively against his arm.
"What are you doing here, Lashina?"
"I'm Apokolips' representative to this, meeting," she playfully answered.
"Since when is Darkseid interested in a black rock this far away from his world," Clark asked.
Lashina stopped right in front of Clark and looked him in the eye. She chuckled a little bit.
"Oh, my, please, Kal-El, don't tell me you're so naïve that you believe that's the reason for this gathering?"
When Clark didn't immediately answer, her smile grew wider.
"You did, didn't you? Wake up, Kal-El, the reason for this gathering is you."
Gotham
Batman silently moves from his perch high atop a building towards the alley. His features are grimly set, anger welling up inside of her. Bruce hopes if there truly is a hell, there's a special level reserved for those that prey of the vulnerable and the innocent. A thug is beating a young girl within feet of the street, yet no one stops and does anything. The pedestrians' looks away, too afraid to act or even protest a crime happening right before their eyes. Their fear let's evil spread.
Not today.
Bruce can hear the young girl crying as the man reaches back to smack her again. His hand never moves forward, as the vice-like grip of Batman wraps around his wrist. Bruce can see the fear in the man's eyes now.
"Don't you know that hurts," Batman growls, backhanding the man. The thug stumbles and falls. All his viciousness disappears as Batman pulls him to his feet. He hits him again, harder, wanting the thug to know what it's like to be helpless. The man huddles on the ground, a hand raised as he starts pleading for mercy. A classic bully, Batman realizes, only willing to pick on those that can't fight back. He picks up the thug and pulls him close. The man whimpers and begs for mercy again.
"What mercy did you show her," Batman growls. He hits the man harder, driving him back into the wall. The thug slowly slumps to the ground unconscious.
At the sound of muffled crying, Bruce turns towards the young girl. She can only be ten or eleven. She is huddled against the far wall, her arms wrapped tight around a cardboard box. Bruce can see the fear in her eyes. Moving slowly, he inches towards her, is voice calm and gentle.
"It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you," he softly says. From the look in her eye, Bruce can tell she doesn't believe him. Why should she, he wonders? She's already learned the hard way how mean and cruel the streets can be. Words are only things to manipulate, actions tell the truth. Slowly he lowers himself to one knee, trying to allay the girl's fear. The bruises and cuts around her face tear at his heart, yet he wills himself to only show compassion to her. Tentatively, she seems to want to believe him, but probably years of abuse make it difficult.
"No one's going to hurt you."
He can hear the sound of sirens in the distance. Apparently a fit of guilt finally got to someone and they did the minimum, a phone call. Usually, he would vanish at this point, but the need to be here for the girl overrides that. As he moved a little closer, he notices her clutch the box tighter to her little chest protectively. Whatever it is, she was willing to take a beating from the thug to protect it.
"I'm not going to take it, I promise," He whispers. "What do you have? Can I see?"
The girl seems unsure at first, but slowly she moves the box in front of her. Inside is a kitten, probably no more than a few weeks old. The girl has lined the little box with newspaper and Bruce sees the old front-page photo of Superman and Power Girl. It happens so fast he doesn't even realize it until he's in it. It all come rushing on, the tightness in his chest, the trouble breathing, the sweat pouring off him. Bruce is dizzy and has to put one hand on the ground to prevent falling. The little girl reflectively pulls the box away to protect the kitten. He wants to assure her he's not going to harm the kitten or her, but he can't seem to find his breath long enough to speak
The sirens are closer now. The walls of the alley seemed to be closing in on him. Bruce's flight reflex is screaming at him to get away, yet still he stays. He can hear the car doors of the squad cars open and shut, the sound of footsteps running towards him. The officers nervously ask questions as they survey the area.
Summoning all of his considerable will, Bruce slowly rises. He fights to control his breathing, as he turns to face the officers.
"He was abusing her," he some how managed to say, point to the thug.
"Don't leave her alone."
With another glance at the girl, Batman launches his line towards the heavens. Just before he disappears, he stops and looks at the officers.
"Let her keep the kitten.'
And then he's gone.
Primus 5
Lashina has moved even closer, watching with interest as her words sink into Clark's mind.
"Me," he finally asks. "Why?"
"You found yourself a new girl," Lashina replies. "A Kryptonian one at that."
"So?"
"It's all anyone can talk about. What does it mean, two Kryptonians together? They see that as a dangerous development, Kal-El."
"This is surreal, first on Earth and now here," He softly says.
"I've seen her picture," Lashina continues. "She's not your type, Kal-El."
"Generous, beautiful and good aren't my type," he sarcastically replies.
"I'll admit she's pretty, in an obvious way," Lashina replies. "But when you're alone, do you still dream of me?"
"No."
He answers just a little too fast. Lashina's smile grows.
'Have you told her about us, Kal-El?"
"There's nothing to tell, Lashina," Clark angrily replies.
"I thought Superman didn't lie," she says with a teasing smile. "I know you haven't forgotten our time together on Apokolips, Kal-El."
"I was brainwashed, Lashina, I've tried to put everything about that time behind me."
"And yet that time still haunts you, doesn't it," she asks. Lashina moves closer, so they are almost touching. "Passion like we shared isn't so easily forgotten."
"So what is this really about, Lashina," Clark said, not answering her question. "Did Darkseid send you here to stir up the conference against me? I'm sure he enjoys condemning my relationship for the whole galaxy to see."
"You're mistaken, Kal-El," Lashina smiles. "The Great Lord sent me here to support you."
"Very funny."
"I'm serious, Darkseid has always had a special interest in you." There a deep sultry quality to her voice that makes every statement sound like a proposition. "He has always wanted to see you reach your true potential. In his generosity, he even told me to offer you a haven if you need one. Come back to Apokolips and retake your rightful place, and Darkseid promise you can have any woman you want. Any woman Kal-El."
She holds his eyes with hers; there is no mistaking her meaning.
"Tell your master I will never be a slave to Darkseid or anyone else, Lashina," Clark firmly replies. Lashina smiles and steps even closer, just millimeters away from him.
"No need to make a snap decision now, Kal-El, think about it for awhile," she says in a sultry whisper. Before he can react, she closes the minimal distance between them and kisses him. It is a scorching, passion filled kiss that takes his breath away. As she steps back, he looks him deep in the eye.
"Any woman, Kal-El."
As she moves to leave, he knows she expects him to watch her, and despite everything, he can't turn his eyes from the sight of her walking away.