"Last night, what appeared to be Superman escaped from the Lex Corp. laboratory and threatened the citizens of Metropolis. I can confirm that Superman is now alive after being in a coma for five years in Lex Corp. But when he awoke from his deep coma, he was disoriented and confused. We are doing all we can to find Superman and complete his treatment," Lex Luthor said in a morning press conference. Supergirl was at his side.
"Why did you keep this a secret Mr. President?"
"We felt that if the public knew, it would compromise Superman's recovery. Supergirl here was instrumental in Superman's recovery and she did not want her work to be disturbed," Lex answered.
"Where is Superman now?"
"We don't know his current location," Lex admitted.
"Why did you order a fighter squadron to shoot down Superman?" a reporter asked with an accusing tone.
"Our goal was to ensure the safety and well being of the people of Metropolis. We didn't want to harm Superman, merely detain him," Lex said.
"What if Superman refuses to cooperate?"
"Superman is not an official in the US government. He is a free American citizen, but he is still accountable to our laws," Lex answered vaguely.
Reporters shouted out more questions, but Lex cut them off ending the press conference. "When we have more details we will share them as they come to us," Lex promised.
Lex and Supergirl walked side by side as Secret Service agents escorted them. "If Lois Lane is free, she will blab to the press," Lex said displeased.
"I will make sure both Kal-El and Lois Lane understand the need for secrecy," Supergirl agreed. She then flew off into the air and sped towards the Fortress of Solitude.
Meanwhile, Superman waited for Lois to recover from her ordeal. She was sleeping soundly in a bed inside the Fortress of Solitude. He then heard a familiar booming sound and then saw Supergirl walk in. "I have not come here to fight you Kal-El," Supergirl said as she came closer.
Superman gave her a displeased expression upon entering the fortress. She suddenly hit a force field that prevented her from getting any closer. Supergirl sighed as she remembered one of the fortress' security systems. She touched the force field with her hand but was not able to get through. "What do you want?" Superman asked her.
"I'm sorry for the misunderstanding Kal-El but you should be grateful for what I have done for you. I nursed you back to health; I even donated some of my own brain tissue to revive you. If not for me you would still be dead and while you were gone I have kept this planet safe," Supergirl said.
"Thanks," Superman said bitterly.
"I had no choice when it came to her. She would have reported on what I was doing. You would never have recovered," Supergirl said defensively.
"No, I think she would have seen reason if she knew you were trying to help me. No, you imprisoned her because she was going to report on your connections to Lex Luthor," Superman accused.
"He had the means to give me the tools I needed to save you," Supergirl argued.
"And he helped you to control world as you saw fit. If you didn't like a leader you got rid of him and imposed your own rule. You became the world's dictator."
"I did what you refused to do. I ended wars, poverty, and suffering on this planet. Every nuclear weapon on this planet is now under our control."
"Lex's control," Superman corrected.
"He has changed. He's not the man you once fought."
"He betrayed this planet so he could be ruler of Australia," Superman shot back.
Supergirl chuckled at that but then regained her focus. "We may not agree on how this planet should be led, but I cannot allow either of you to unravel our work."
"Or you'll do what?"
Supergirl then spoke in Krypton instantly deactivating the force field. She then spoke again creating a force field around Superman and Lois. Superman immediately attempted to free himself but found he could not get through the force field. Supergirl gave a complicated command in Krypton which caused the room to turn red. Superman realized what was happening and looked at Supergirl in shock.
"The Fortress of Soltude will answer to Kryptonian commands over any other," she smiled.
"Stop it! You win!" Superman cried out.
Supergirl spoke in Kryptonian again causing the fortress to power down. Superman then fell to the ground weakened. "I hope we have an understanding Kal-El," Supergirl said and then walked off.
In the Oval Office, President Luthor was working on paperwork concerning the domestic affairs of the nation. While he worked, he received a phone call from one of his Air Force Generals. "Mr President, we have lost control of our nuclear missile codes and our satellites," the General said with a serious tone.
"How is this possible?" Lex demanded.
"We can't explain it. We are totally shut off," the general said.
"Stand fast while I contact the Joint Chiefs," Luthor ordered.
Luthor ended the phone call and realized what might have happened. He picked up his phone and scheduled an emergency flight to Metropolis. While Luther was in mid-flight, Kara entered the White House in civilian clothes.
"Where is the President?" she asked Lex's secretary.
"The President is taking a flight to Metropolis," the secretary answered.
Kara considered this and then walked out of the White House. When she was a safe distance away, she deactivated her hologram and flew off towards Metropolis.
"What happened?" Lois wondered as she woke up. "I have the worst headache."
"You were frozen for four years," Superman told her.
"Four years?" Lois looked at him wide eyed. "And how are you still alive? I saw you die," she questioned.
"I don't know myself Lois," Superman admitted.
"What do we do now?" Lois asked.
"Let me take you home," Superman said picking Lois up. The two then flew up into the air and flew towards Metropolis.
Lex used his card to get inside the Lex Corp. building but it refused to work. "Get someone to pry this door open," Luthor ordered his Secret Service.
Supergirl then dropped down and with her hands pried the doors open. "Thank you," Luthor said to her.
Once inside, Secret Service went inside the building and secured the area. Lex then attempted to use the elevator but was refused access. Lex looked over at Supergirl for assistance. She lifted her foot and slammed down on the floor cracking it open. She took a hold of Lex and dropped inside the laboratory.
"Mr. President!" the Secret Service Commander said alarmed as he went down.
"I have ample protection commander. Just keep anyone from entering the building," Lex ordered.
Supergirl and Lex then ran over to the computer. "The damn thing has control of our satellites and nuclear missiles," Lex informed her.
Supergirl put in the password to gain access to the computer but was denied. She tried it a few more times with the same result. "We have to pull the plug," Supergirl said.
Lex stared at her in horror as he realized the prized computer he used to manipulate the world would have to be destroyed. Upon a brief calculation of his options, he nodded consenting to Supergirl. With her first, she shattered the monitor's screen and then began ripping the computer keypad to pieces. She then blasted the supercomputers with her laser vision creating fires everywhere.
"Did we stop it?" Lex wondered.
Supergirl looked around to see if she was missing something. "Your efforts are futile," a cold voice said from a corner of the lab. A seven foot tall cyborg marched towards them with white glowing eyes.
"I knew I missed something," Supergirl said as she got into a fighting stance.
The cyborg opened a chest compartment revealing a piece of radioactive Kyrptonite. Supergirl instantly fell ill and could barely stand. Despite the pain, Supergirl rushed the cyborg but was quickly subdued by powerful body shots. The cyborg threw Supergirl to the floor in a heap at Lex's feet.
"I am Brainiac, the most advance computer that has ever existed on either Earth or Krypton. Since becoming self aware I have recorded every fact this planet has to offer. And now that I have recorded all possible knowledge of this planet, I will now destroy it," Brainiac explained.
"That doesn't make any sense. Why collect knowledge on something you intend to destroy," Lex argued.
"I cannot permit any other living or artificial life form to know what I know. I will be the universe's only source of knowledge. If knowledge is power, I will become the universe's most powerful entity," Brainiac said.
"Knowledge is used to rule others who are ignorant," Lex said.
"You're motivation for knowledge is to defeat the Son of Krypton, but you lack the ambition to understand the world as I do. Humanity is doomed to extinction due to its primitive intelligence. I am only accelerating that process. Humanity does not deserve to live; humanity is a threat to knowledge," Brainiac concluded.
Supergirl gave Lex a dirty look for wanting to defeat her cousin. "Like you didn't know," Lex muttered.
"Not even with your great speed can you stop every nuclear missile from hitting the world's cities. Even if you managed to stop a few, billions will still perish as the Earth's atmosphere becomes filled with radiation," Brainiac calculated.
"How do you hope to avoid the nuclear fallout. The electromagnetic pulse will kill you too," Supergirl said as she struggled to speak.
"I have commandeered a technologically advanced space shuttle that will allow me to exit this solar system so that I may search the cosmos for life," Brainiac answered.
In a desperate attempt, Supergirl fired on Brainiac's Kryptonite with her laser vision but the cyborg lifted its right hand to deflect the beam. Unaffected by the Kryptonite, Lex took out his pistol and fired on Brainiac but the bullets merely bounced off his armor.
"As President of the United States, you will provide a most excellent hostage," Brainiac said and then grabbed a hold of Lex with metallic tentacles. Lex became covered in tentacles so that he couldn't move. Brainiac then jumped up out of the basement with Lex as a human shield. The Secret Service pointed their weapons at Brainiac but wouldn't fire with the President held hostage.
As Brainiac walked outside of Lex Corp, he was immediately confronted by Superman who had heard the fight blocks away. "Son of Krypton, do not interfere," Brainiac said.
"You coward! Put me down and fight him like a man," Lex insulted Brainiac.
"I don't intend to fight the Son of Krypton," Brainiac said and then looked up at the sky.
A large airliner was heading towards the city as if it were going to crash. "You might want to attend to that," Brainiac said to Superman.
Superman realized the danger and immediately flew off to save the airliner. "A most foolish decision, he cannot hope to save every airliner I send plummeting to the surface," Brainiac observed.
"He has a tendency to use every muscles except the one that matters," Lex agreed.
"Come, perhaps I will preserve your life," Brainiac said and then fired the rockets underneath his feet.
A weakened Supergirl and the Secret Service watched helplessly as Brainiac flew off towards Texas. As Brainiac disappeared from view, Supergirl went back inside Lex Corp.
