Chapter 42
It was almost ten-thirty p.m. and a cool, clear night had descended upon Metropolis. The night's twinkling stars and a few lampposts lit the docks. Across the eerily calm river, glittered the lights of Metropolis. Lex and his men had arrived early giving them ample time to spread out and take up covert positions in the shadows provided by the dock's warehouses.
Standing at the edge of the dock under the glow of a lamppost, Lex ordered, "Bring the boy."
From the shadows came angry grunting and mumbling. Without turning to see what was happening, Lex said, "Now. I want the boy here, beside me."
Jason emerged from the shadows followed by Mick who was using the tip of his semi-automatic rifle to shove the boy forward.
"Move it," Mick said and poked Jason with the barrel of the rifle. Earlier, only the threat of shooting Richard had gotten Jason to leave the metal room. And now, Mick used that same threat to force Jason forward. "If you don't wanna be the cause of your daddy's death, you better get a move on."
A calm, expressionless Jason glanced over his shoulder at Mick and the rifle. Another rough poke made Jason turn and slowly walk to Lex. He noticed the light reflecting off of Lex's bald head.
With the innocence of youth, Jason said, "Your head is shiny."
Not enthused, Lex replied, "I have Superman to thank for that."
Jason scrunched his face. "Why?"
Lex didn't have time for small talk, nor did he get a chance to respond. A heavy thud shook the dock and all eyes were instantly riveted on the towering green android.
"He has a shiny head, too," said Jason.
With a malicious grin, Brainiac approached Lex and Jason. He reached for Jason as he snarled, "The boy is mine."
Lex stepped in front of Jason and wagged a finger at Brainiac. "Not so fast."
Brainiac let out a sadistic laugh. "You cannot stop me." His eyes glowed bright enough to illuminate the armed men cowering in the shadows. "None of you can stop me. Your weapons cannot harm me."
Lex reminded Brainiac, "We have a deal."
The red glow of Brainiac's eyes landed squarely on Lex. "Yes, we do. Where is your part of the deal?" With out-stretched arms, Brainiac turned in a circle and mockingly said, "No Superman."
"He'll show," Lex replied calmly.
Brainiac's eyes narrowed to blood red slits. "You do have something I want." His green hand extended slowly toward Lex's head, the large green fingers spreading wide.
"Nooo!" Jason yelled and shoved Lex aside, sending the business man crashing a few feet away. The dock's splintery wooden planks ripped the sleeve of Lex's expensive suit jacket.
If Brainiac could grab and hold Lex's head, he could absorb Lex's consciousness. Brainiac stepped closer as Lex got to his hands and knees. Brainiac's green hand extended again. "I will have what I came for. No one can stop me."
From the night sky a deep voice said, "Maybe I can."
All eyes turned to see the Man of Steel hovering above the river, brow furrowed, arms slightly bent accentuating mighty biceps paired with two potent fists.
Brainiac hesitated a second, glancing from Superman to Lex, and then to Jason. Wait, Jason was gone!
"Time to pick on someone your own size, and strength," Superman declared, moving skyward.
"Arrrrrrrgh!" Brainiac growled and rocketed after Superman.
The Man of Steel was already gone, leaving a sonic boom in his wake. A second boom quickly followed as Brainiac blasted through the atmosphere and into space.
Lex got to his feet and dusted himself off. Smugly, he said, "I knew he'd show." Noticing his torn sleeve, Lex sneered and looked around. "Where's the boy?"
Armed men cautiously crept out of the shadows and timidly glanced skyward. Flashlights cut through the darkness searching for Jason.
"There he is," a man shouted and gestured at Jason standing several feet away. The little boy was staring intently up at the night sky.
# # # # # #
Superman sped toward the sun absorbing as much energy as possible. His hand lightly touched the compartment on his belt that contained the father crystal. Knowing the crystal was there, safe and sound, gave him some measure of comfort.
Coming up fast from behind, Brainiac yelled, "Face me, Kryptonian!" As the distance between the two narrowed, Brainiac added, "Or should I say, Superman?"
Superman slowed. He saw Brainiac's ship parked over Earth's North Pole. He hoped the Fortress' shields held. He placed the small oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and turned to face his opponent.
In the great expanse between Earth and the moon the two powerful beings hovered, glaring at each other, one humanoid and one android, both from a long-dead planet. Fate had brought them here, to this moment in time and space.
Seeing the oxygen mask, Brainiac taunted Superman, "You are as weak as the beings on the planet you call home. Defeating you will be easy."
Superman ignored the taunt and scanned Brainiac with his X-ray vision. He spied the crystal in a leg pocket of Brainiac's purple suit. Superman began burning a hole in the fabric.
"Nooo!" Brainiac cried. "Heat-vision!"
A beam of Brainiac's heat-vision grazed the upper left-side of Superman's chest, searing through the fabric of his suit and the upper layers of his skin. He gasped and sped away as excruciating pain radiated from the wound. Gingerly he touched the wound and felt something wet and sticky. His eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the bright red blood covering his fingers. Small droplets slid off his fingers and floated into space.
His super-hearing indicated Brainiac was approaching rapidly from behind. Superman slowed, made a fist, turned and swung. He connected with Brainiac's jaw. The blow sent the android cartwheeling backwards. Superman sucked in a deep breath and pursued the body tumbling through space. Brainiac spread his arms and legs to slow his tumble and righted himself in time to come face-to-face with the Man of Steel.
Superman landed a vicious right cross on Brainiac's jaw and watched as it created a shower of sparks. Brainiac countered with an uppercut to Superman's chin that dislodged the oxygen mask. Superman swiftly reattached the mask and aimed his heat-vision at Brainiac's neck, but the android had vanished.
Brainiac flew in a wide oval, picking up momentum, as he curved and headed for Superman. His intention was to use his body as a battering ram along with his new heat-vision. A blistering hot beam sliced through Superman's right shoulder as he spun and flew out of sight. Brainiac followed Superman, led by the drops of blood.
Let's take the fight to your turf, Superman thought. He banked to the left and headed for Brainiac's ship.
Nearing the ship's hull, Superman slowed and turned. The ship should provide some protection. Superman did not think Brainiac would destroy his own ship just to kill him.
Brainiac immediately deduced Superman's plan. "You think you can use my ship as a safety net."
Superman saw the three green nodes and silver lines criss-crossing Brainiac's head light up. Brainiac was communicating with his ship's computer, giving it instructions to lock-out Vril.
From the ship's bow four hatches opened and four laser cannons started firing energy beams at Earth's polar region. With his telescopic-vision Superman saw the beams strike the frozen ground near the Fortress, sending up giant clouds of snow and dirt.
Brainiac flew closer to Superman and leaned forward, his arms back, hands fisted. "Tell me where your crystals and technology are hidden or I target Earth's major cities."
"What makes you think they're hidden on Earth?" Superman countered, hoping to stall Brainiac, even if only for a second.
It worked. Brainiac paused, just for a nanosecond, it was enough time for Superman's heat-vision to destroy one of the cannons and fly out-of-range. Superman didn't wish to feel the effects of Brainiac's heat-vision again. Blood still oozed from the open wounds on his shoulder and chest. He was expending so much energy on the fight that his body didn't have enough time to completely heal.
Brainiac accelerated after the Man of Steel as he sent new instructions to his ship, target Metropolis and Earth's major cities with two of the three remaining cannons. One cannon continued its assault on the polar region.
Superman flew at light speed, flying in a wide arc, as he watched energy beams strike the polar icecap every few seconds. And then, Superman watched in horror as a beam streaked toward Metropolis and smashed into a suburb on the outskirts of town.
Superman balled his fists and gritted his teeth. He came to an abrupt stop and thought, This ends now.
In the distance two glowing red dots grew brighter and larger as Brainiac rapidly approached. When Brainiac was within range, Superman aimed his heat-vision at the android's neck. A red beam blazed through space and cut through Brainiac's armor just beneath the vulnerable neck area.
Brainiac ignored the minor damage and came in fast. He launched a fist the size of a bear's paw at Superman's face. Superman managed to dodge the blow. Brainiac, still on the attack, swung another massive fist at Superman. Superman leaned backwards, avoiding the fist, then leaned forward and landed a left hook on Brainiac's jaw. Superman following with a brutal right cross to the nose. The blows backed Brainiac up. The nodes on his head glowed in a chaotic pattern, an indication that Brainiac had sustained internal damage.
Suddenly, an explosion lit up the area.
Brainiac surveyed his ship. Another cannon was gone, melted beyond repair thus, ending its polar assault.
Superman correctly surmised that Valia had created a feedback loop in the energy beam, thereby sending it back on itself and destroying the cannon.
With Brainiac distracted, Superman used his heat-vision to destroy one of the two cannons attacking Earth. Then Brainiac was back with a vengeance. Superman blocked a blow to the head with an forearm and hoped Valia could take out the last remaining cannon.
Brainiac's attack lessened a bit as he sent new instructions to his ship. Begin access and destruction of all computer systems on the planet. Superman noticed the slight reprieve and delivered a savage right hook to Brainiac's head. He followed it up with a blast of heat-vision to the android's neck.
Brainiac flew out of range as the heat began to sear through his suit. He'd had enough of this fight, of this planet, and of this Kryptonian. With all his might, he sped in at light-speed and landed a crushing blow on Superman's wounded chest. Small globs of blood spurted from the wound. Brainiac instantly followed with a powerful uppercut to Superman's jaw that sent the Man of Steel whirling through space.
Superman, Kal-El, thought of his father's words, "The crystal can provide the means to destroy Brainiac if the opportunity presents its self."
Brainiac was on him again. Superman caught one massive green fist in his left hand and held on to the android's other arm with his right hand. Locked in a deadly stalemate, Superman struggled to maintain his hold. Sweat formed on his furrowed brow as the two opponents swirled and grunted in a deadly dance.
Brainiac broke free and swiped at Superman's face dislodging the oxygen mask. Before Superman had a chance to adjust the mask, Brainiac landed a devastating blow on his chest that knocked the air out of his lungs and sent him reeling.
Dazed, Superman sailed through the vast void of space. Everything seemed to be happening in slow-motion. Time itself slowed as he sailed backward, toward the sun, to the very source of his great strength.
His cape cradled his body in a cozy embrace and images of a bright red baby blanket came to mind. He watched the corners of the cape slowly flap against his legs as a kaleidoscope of scenes flashed through his mind. Lois, Jason, Martha, Jonathan, Valia, Kandor, the Kent farm, and so many more. Scene after scene flipped through his mind like the pages of a book. Time continued to slow . . . becoming slower . . . and slower . . . coming to a standstill.
My life is coming to an end, Superman realized as the life-force drained from his body. Air, precious air. He needed air.