Metropolis, Luthor Manor.
Lionel Luthor watched his son with rising concern. Something was undeniably wrong with Lex.
"Lex, are you alright?" Lionel asked, his voice tense as they stood in the manor's courtyard beneath a sky thick with darkness.
Lex, clad in a sharply tailored black suit, stared upward at the clouds, his eyes reflecting a strange inner light.
"I feel... different," Lex said, his back to his father.
"You were exposed to those Kryptonians in the Phantom Zone. What did they do to you?" Lionel asked, voice shaky. "Are you hurt?"
Lex turned toward him, confusion flickering across his features. "You told me not to meddle with Smallville's secrets, but I kept pushing, digging deeper into its mysteries."
For once, Lionel saw genuine reflection in his son's expression, and his face grew stern.
"You always chase what you cannot have, Lex. No matter how much I give, you want only the forbidden. This time you've gone too far."
"So what now?" Lex replied with impatience. "Are you here to help me, or to lecture me?"
"It's too late for talking now," Lionel said gravely. "You've made contact with something dangerous, a force beyond your understanding. They won't let you walk away. There's always a price."
Lex barely listened. His mood was volatile, emotions tangled in a storm of confusion and denial.
Seeing Lex turn to walk away, Lionel stepped forward and placed a hand on his son's shoulder.
"Lex."
Reflexively, Lex shoved his father. With a single push, Lionel flew backward, crashing into a flowerbed with a heavy thud.
Lex stared, shocked. Had his strength really grown this much?
Lionel groaned, his forehead and cheeks smeared with blood, every breath drawing sharp pain through his chest. He felt as though ribs were fractured.
"Dad... are you okay?" Lex asked, stepping closer.
Lionel coughed, gazing at Lex with disbelief. "Lex... what have they done to you?"
"I... I don't know," Lex muttered, his gaze unfocused as panic surged inside him.
Suddenly, his speed erupted without warning, and with a blur he vanished from the courtyard.
---
Back in his room, Lex paced desperately. His body felt changed — stronger, faster, different. He opened a drawer, pulled out a handgun, and stared at it for a long moment before loading a magazine.
He raised the gun to his palm and fired.
Bang!
The bullet struck his hand, but instead of piercing it, the metal flattened and crumpled under an invisible force, as though hitting an unbreakable shield.
Lex stared at the deformed bullet in his hand, realization settling deep in his chest.
He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. The power surging through him was undeniable — strength and resilience far beyond any human.
Memories of watching Kryptonians catch missiles barehanded and tear apart aircraft flickered through his mind.
Is this what it feels like... to have Kryptonian strength?
He set the handgun aside and walked to the window. Outside, the sky was consumed by thick, rolling clouds that spread across the entire city.
Then something strange began to happen.
Another consciousness stirred within him — not his own. A vertigo washed through his senses as an alien will competed with his own.
He clutched his forehead and backed away, his body trembling as he fought to resist this foreign presence.
But suddenly, control snapped away from him entirely.
---
Meanwhile at the Daily Planet in Metropolis, Clark Kent had separated from the rest of the Justice Society and made his way to see Chloe Sullivan.
"Hey, Chloe, there's something I need to tell you," Clark said as he stepped into the newspaper's office.
"Clark?" Chloe said, startled to see him without disguise. She quickly pulled him into a quiet corner.
"Clark, everyone's looking for you right now. You're in public with no blur or disguise. You know you've never been good at disguising yourself."
"I know, Chloe," Clark said with a shrug. "But I need your help. I'm looking for Adrian. You have access to military and government networks — maybe together we can find something."
Chloe turned to look at the computer banks.
Every screen in the Planet was filled with flickering green symbols — like a massive digital virus devouring data.
"This virus has spread through Metropolis. It's bypassed firewalls and corrupted communications. The newspapers, elevators, transit systems — everything is going dark."
Clark frowned. "Did General Zod do this?"
"I don't know," Chloe said, "But it's a major crisis. The Planet's backup power won't last long."
A news broadcast crackled from a radio, the announcer's voice warbling under interference.
"Due to widespread systems failure, the entire city has descended into chaos, with outbreaks of violence reported..." the voice faded into static.
Chloe's face grew grim. "If this keeps up, it won't just be Metropolis. Cities all over the world could fall."
Suddenly, a screech of braking tires lit up the corner of the office.
Clark turned just in time to see a car barreling toward them.
Glass shattered as the vehicle smashed through the wall.
Clark acted instantly. With super-speed, he swept Chloe into his arms and planted his hand against the car's bumper, stopping it mid-crash.
Chloe stared in awe as Clark effortlessly held back the impact.
"Clark!" she exclaimed, then grabbed his hand with urgency. "This is dangerous. Zod is after you. You can't be exposing yourself like this."
Clark looked into her eyes. "I have to do what I can."
Chloe's voice trembled. "Are you ready to face him? He's unlike anything we've dealt with."
Clark hesitated, then turned and walked out into the chaos.
"Wait!" Chloe called, her voice thick with emotion. "Maybe this is the last time we'll see each other!"
She crossed the distance and wrapped her arms around him in a fierce, tender embrace.
Clark held her gently, his eyes softening, cherishing the moment.
When they finally parted, Clark stood and looked out over the streets.
Metropolis was in flames. Rioters clashed with police. Vehicles overturned. Smoke rose everywhere.
A taxi was surrounded as attackers pounded its windows with metal rods.
Just then, a pair of strong hands pulled one of the rioters away.
Arthur Curry, known as Aquaman, stepped into view. His presence dominated the chaos around him as he quickly subdued the attackers.
Nearby, a masked man lit a Molotov cocktail and accidentally set himself aflame, screaming and rolling on the ground.
Arthur watched with a frown, unsettled by humanity's darker impulses.
Suddenly, a little girl appeared on the street — hooded and moving with astonishing speed.
Behind her, a gang of thugs with bats gave chase.
Arthur blinked at the bizarre sight.
Without hesitation, his sense of justice kicked in, and he sprinted forward.
In moments he had intercepted the attackers, pounding them into the pavement with precise blows.
Once the danger was handled, Arthur turned and approached the girl, who was hiding behind a car clutching a bag nearly half her height. Jewelry glinted from its top.
Arthur smiled gently. "Hey there. What are you doing out here all alone?"
The hooded girl looked up, her eyes filled with determination.
"I'm looking for my brother."
"My name's Arthur," he said kindly. "It's dangerous out here. Let me help you find him."
"No," she said with stubborn resolve. "I'm not leaving until I find my brother."
Arthur nodded, respecting her determination.
Then, from the distance, they heard a sudden explosion.
____
Patreon = _Zeph