High above the surface of the Earth, the woman who had once been Lois Lane Kent looked down, taking in the surface of the world.
Night had fallen across North America, making the effects of the devastation even more obvious. So few electric lights…
She had, until now, believed that Otherverse was the most war-torn world she had ever seen. She freely admitted that was no longer the case.
Fortunately, it was still late summer in the Northern Hemisphere. Cool enough to make life tolerable. Warm enough the wide-spread lack of electricity had not caused much loss of life this season.
She could see where the Phantom Zoners had been—devastated cities, mass graves, destroyed infrastructure across the planet. She considered the folly of the former prisoners. By destroying civilization, the prisoners had made themselves the kings of nothing.
She would have to make contact with the Resistance, earn their trust, and find out what they knew.
She had to admit that Kent Nelson had warned her. She was going to Hell, just a Hell of her own choosing. A world with no hope, a humanity ground under the heels of the worst megalomaniacs Krypton had to offer. He had done what he could for her—the body had been goosed to provide her a few advantages. She knew one already; although Gold K temporarily depowered her, she would quickly regain her powers. Kent’s logic was that she could expect to be hit with Gold K by either other Phantom Zoners or the Resistance. Green K would still be fatal, if she could not get away in time, but Kent’s worst fear was that she would be captured, made permanently powerless, and tortured. Given the odds against her, that gift was still a considerable arrow in her quiver.
Spotting an empty, abandoned, open house, she landed. Stepping inside, she found a mirror and gazed into it. Expecting to see Faora’s hard expression in the glass, Lois could only smile. Her hair had grown much longer and lightened, turning a coppery red. While the hips were almost as trim, her bust was just slightly larger. And while her body had changed little, the features on her face had softened considerably.
Lois nodded approvingly at her reflection. Where Faora had been a very hard, cruel woman, Lois now had a kinder, gentler appearance, with features that had changed enough that she would not be recognizable as Faora. Kent, I can’t complain. I’m not Faora and I won’t have to pretend to be. And I really like the way I look. Damn, I really, really do. She reproached herself for her vanity, but still could not help smiling.
She searched the house, and finding clothing that she could tailor to fit her well enough. A little super-speed tailoring later, she had a set of rugged, but flattering clothes. Satisfied with her work, she removed Faora’s clothing, stuffing it into a back-pack before dressing in her new clothes.
Rocketing skyward once more, she gazed back on her death-trap. Fiendishly simply, a group of young men stood together on a platform drinking beer. Faora had stopped to kill them when they pulled out Gold Kryptonite and collapsed the platform beneath her.
One Phantom Zoner dead, twenty how many to go?
Lois considered the uniforms on the young men. Unless she missed her guess, the Ripple that had taken Kara Zor-El out of Otherverse had landed Buddy Raines and his Rebels on this world. It had been several years since they landed; Lois suspected time in this world had depleted their numbers. Mighty though they were, they could only offer guerilla resistance against the Phantom Zoners.
Unfortunately, the Zoners had not been able to leave Earth once they squandered its resources. Unlike Kryptonians in her former Multiverse, they would have to breathe every so often, limiting their flight. She did not know how frequently she had to breathe, but she would bet that Kent had made a mod or two in that department.
Buddy Raines had made a mistake by killing Faora, Lois knew that. The other Zoners would eventually track down the death-trap and take retribution. Not that Faora was loved, but an example would have to be set—consequences for killing a Zoner. And since she could no longer pass for Faora, she would have to act more quickly. But how?
As the sun rose, Lois flew towards Metropolis. The once-proud city of Superman had taken on extreme damage. Lois expected that would be the case—revenge on the hated Superman, Prince of the House of El, son of Jor-El. Undoubtedly, most or all of Kal-El’s friends had been killed or gravely wounded. She wondered if any would be alive. But she had to hope against hope. She needed access to the Fortress and would not be recognized by what remained of the defenses.
More than that, she prayed that she would see at least one familiar face, one friend who had survived the onslaught.
He sat on a pile of rubble, across the street from the monument the citizens of Metropolis had erected to Superman and his family. He remembered his friends: Clark, Lois, and their daughter Lanie. His own wife, Lucy Lane Olsen, had been slaughtered with them, trying to save Lanie. He would never fully recover from their deaths, he knew that. But then, neither would most of the world.
He had been one of the few who knew the secret of Clark’s double identity. He had never been as dumb as he liked to appear; he had deduced the double identity long before even Lois Lane. He wasn’t in love with the man, not the same way she was. But he had loved him in his own way.
Kal-El had always been his friend in whatever guise he wore. James Olsen knew that and promised to himself that he would never forget it.
Jimmy knew he was taking risks by being here. But then, he liked the spirit the memorial represented. Every time the Phantom Zoners tore it down, the citizens of Metropolis put it back up. Someday, we’ll find a way to erect the memorial you deserve, Clark. We’ll find a way to free this world. You have my word on that.
Oh God, Lucy, why couldn’t we have had more time?
“Come here often?” Jimmy turned at the words. A very pretty, pleasant-looking young woman gazed up at him, a kind expression in her eyes. Copper-tinged hair cascaded down her shoulders. In earlier days, he would have chatted her up. Now he could only feel responsible for her safety.
“You might not want to get too close to me,” Jimmy warned. “I’m not safe to be around.”
“Perfectly safe as far as I can tell,” she remarked. “Quite the gentleman, to worry about a stranger.”
“Do you have any idea who I am?”
“Sure! James Bartholomew Olsen, one of the best photographers that ever lived. Friend of Clark, Lois, and Laney Kent. And an expert at staying alive.”
“And you are?” Jimmy pressed.
“Sorry,” the woman who had been Lois Lane replied, “Ellen Starr, Star reporter. Don’t you just love the way that sounds?” She chuckled. “Don’t worry, I’m not currently employed. And any conversation between us is strictly off the record unless we both agree otherwise.”
“I’ve really enjoyed this conversation,” Jimmy explained as they sat on the rubble. “but I was just a side-kick to the real heroes, no real powers of my own.”
“You are a dear, honest friend,” Ellen retorted. “You are courageous and bold, truthful, and a friend to the bitter end. Never discount your worth.”
“Still, it’s not as if I’m going to save the planet,” Jimmy countered. “What could I possibly have to offer?”
“Knowledge,” Ellen emphasized. “You knew them and you know how they operated. Not to mention that the Fortress of Solitude knows you. Anyone else won’t be able to get into the systems.”
“True,” he gazed at her suspiciously.
“I need the schematics to build a Phantom Zone projector,” she explained. “I’ve got almost thirty mad Kryptonians I have to put away. I’ve got to track them down and take them out before they realize what I am up to.”
“You’re serious?” Jimmy reacted, astounded by her audacity. “Did Lex Luthor and company put you up to this?”
“Who? Alexi Luthor?”
“No, just Lex.” He gazed at her with concern.
“Meh,” she shrugged her shoulders, smiling nonchalantly “fight one Luthor, you’ve fought them all.”
He watched her, realizing that never once had she shown any signs of fear, only determination. She earnestly seemed to care about him, but she seemed so strange he wondered if she was even human. But then, neither was Kal-El. And something about her seemed hauntingly familiar…
“I know it’s a lot to take in, Jimmy,” Ellen explained, “but I can’t do this without your help.” She watched as doubt crept across his expression. “Jimmy, I know you have every right to be skeptical. This may be the most important decision you will ever make and only you can make it. You choose the fate of this world.”
Well, ok, Jimmy considered, maybe it’s not such a bad thing to be a sidekick after all. Wrapped in a heavy parka, he peeked down at the ground. A dark Antarctica flashed below them. He pointed westward and Ellen changed course. How long had it taken to get here? Not very…finding flame-retardant clothing had taken most of the time.
As they approached the Fortress, he sensed heat vision flashing, frying traps set by the Phantom Zoners. Gazing down, he realized that the Zoners had simply left the door to the Fortress wide open. Heat vision flash-dried the snow while super strength closed the door.
Jimmy could feel the Fortress heating systems come back on line. As they landed, he gazed around at the destruction. While it was extensive, it was mostly random. Best of all, the Computer Systems seemed to be on-line.
“Identify yourselves,” the computer system challenged.
“Jimmy Olsen and friend,” Jimmy chirped.
“Ellen Starr,” his companion’s voice offered.
“Access system console,” Jimmy ordered.
“Privileged Access requires master password,” the computer returned.
“Kandor? Kryptonopolis? Lanie? Lois?” Jimmy offered.
“Incorrect,” the computer replied.
“To kill a mockingbird,” Ellen replied without expression.
“Access granted.”
Jimmy watched her suspiciously as she moved towards the console, operating it just a little too well. The motions of her hands, her gestures, were just a bit too familiar.
Ellen moved through the schematics. Between Faora’s knowledge and the schematics, actually building a projector would be child’s play. Miniaturizing it would make the job more difficult, but only slightly so. A pretty necklace that would contrast nicely with her violet eyes—just the touch that Ellen appreciated. And then it was done, hanging from her neck.
“Very pretty,” Jimmy complimented.
“Why, thank you,” Ellen replied, a sparkle in her eyes.
“Thanks, Jimmy, for putting such trust in me,” Ellen offered as they touched down in Metropolis. “I know it’s not easy.”
“Hey, no problem,” Jimmy replied. “Getting myself into hopeless situations is what I do best.” She chuckled at the absurdity of his words.
“But now comes the really hard part. I have to convince the Resistance to help me to track down the Zoners.”
“I can try to connect you with…” Jimmy offered.
“Jimmy, you’ve put yourself in enough danger for one day,” Ellen replied. “And I think I have a more direct way to contact the Resistance.”
“Okay,” Jimmy agreed, suddenly feeling once more like a has-been sidekick, who would be left behind now that he had given the last he had to offer.
“So, same time tomorrow?” Ellen inquired earnestly.
“Really?”
“Jimmy, you’re a great friend. Why would you ever doubt that?” she smiled warmly at him as she shot skyward.
Jimmy stood, gazing wordlessly as chills ran down his spine. He remembered his life in the years before the attack of the Zoners…optimism, a reason to strive for a better tomorrow. Heroes who did their best to inspire others.
So many of his friends, so much of his family…so much time trying to support the Resistance without endangering them. He wondered if the Phantom Zoners had let him live because they wanted to play with him, or because they considered him beneath contempt.
Either way, they had made a mistake.
Jimmy Olsen? Ellen considered as she flew. Jimmy Olsen? Really? She shrugged her shoulders. Well…Maybe…Someday…
Buddy Raines chomped on his cigar as he walked through his maintenance depot. A young Sergeant tried to explain the fate of Faora Hu-Ul.
“Well, sir, we trapped her, zapped her with Gold K, and left her in the hole. Figured if the Phantom Zoners really wanted her after that, they could come get her. In the meantime, she wouldn’t be butchering any more of our men.”
“So what happened?” Buddy asked, already knowing the answer. “You disposed of the body, making it look like somebody else did the deed? The Phantom Zoners came and got her before she died? Or did the body just disappear on its own? Magically?”
“We don’t know, Sir,” the Sergeant admitted, nervous with sweat.
“Sergeant, I’m not saying she didn’t deserve it,” Buddy responded, “but just letting her die of exposure—that’s not how we do things—not even if they do. But the big problem now is that the Zoners are sure to retaliate. And when they do, it’s going to be a blood bath. And I don’t know how to stop it.”
“Sorry, sir,” the Sergeant apologized.
Buddy ran his hands back through his now-greying hair. It had been too many years since he and his rebels had been pulled from their home world. And then they helped stabilize the situation in Otherverse. Then another cosmic ripple had deposited them here, with no chance of leaving. The Phantom Zone escapees had slowly ground down their numbers, killing his troops for sport. No wonder they had retaliated. But he could not allow that lack of discipline. He would have to counsel their commander.
“Good Day, Sergeant,” he watched the young man flee, not realizing that Buddy understood well that the Sergeant did not have the authority to order the sanction against Faora Hu-Ul.
Buddy walked into his office, sitting down and putting his feet up on his desk. Only then did he realize that he was not alone. A young woman sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, gazing at him.
“I understand that your boys have created a bit of a problem,” the young woman confided to him as she played with her necklace. “And your problem has become my problem.”
“Who are you,” Buddy demanded, “and how so?”
“Call me ‘Project Alex’ for now,” Ellen responded. “I have 29 Phantom Zoners that I have to put away before they can turn you and yours into hamburger. And I don’t know where they are. Fortunately, that is information you can get.”
“Who do you think I am?” Buddy pressed, “and where did you get your information?”
“I know a lot about you, Hippolyta, and the miniature Griffin that shit on your shoulder,” Ellen leaned forward, resting her chin on the palm of her hand. “Your choice, but I just didn’t see you and an immortal Amazon together for the long term. Have to give you credit for trying, though.”
“You came from Otherverse?” Buddy questioned. “The Ripple?”
“I didn’t say that,” Ellen sat back. “I just said that I knew about you, the Amazon, and the Griffin. And Zal-El and his little dog Krypto, too.”
“Who are you?”
“I told you…Project Alex,” Ellen smiled. “If I told you any more, you wouldn’t believe it anyway.”
“Really?” He grunted. “Believe me, I’ve seen some real strange things in my time. So, Miss Project Alex, what do you specifically want from me?”
“You have contacts that can locate the Zoners,” Ellen explained. “You also have Gold K that I need, preferably shielded in lead. I need both quickly, because otherwise I won’t be able to move against the Zoners until after they’ve attacked you.”
“Mouthy, overconfident bitch,” Buddy retorted, “you remind me of Hippolyta.”
“It wouldn’t work,” Ellen grinned, “besides, I’m already pursuing a relationship.”
“Rats!” Buddy exclaimed, secretly relieved.
“I’ll be back in an hour for your answer,” Ellen advised.
“Now look,” Buddy gazed down as he pushed himself up. As his gaze lifted, he realized that he was alone, as if she had never been there. He stepped over to her seat, only to find a card. On one side was a picture of Woodsy the Owl. On the other side sat the slogan ‘Give a hoot, don’t pollute.’ Despite himself, Buddy chuckled.
“Lieutenant!” He growled.
Buddy sat in a conference room with his closest advisors, many of them men and women who had been unknown to him when he and his original rebels had arrived on-planet. The room had been carved out of an old hanger, without even a separate ceiling. Still, it met his needs.
The table had seen better days and so had the chairs, but they were still serviceable, providing relief for Buddy’s aching back. It had been forty-five minutes since “Project Alex’s” visit. Surprisingly, there had been very little doubt about his story. The card had been the clincher…no one in his organization would have dared to print that card.
“I don’t know who or what we’re dealing with here,” Buddy admitted. “Project Alex could be front for another attempt to dismantle what’s left of us. On the other hand, our little tin cans aren’t going to be much protection against the Zoners, once they find us.”
“She must be a Kryptonian,” Col Jill Craddock argued. A tough woman, age lined her portly features, giving her an appearance of decades older than her forty years. “She did ask for the Gold K to be in a lead container. And you saw evidence of super-speed. The question would be where she came from…especially since she was aware of our time in Otherverse. Part of Kara Zor-El’s group?”
“No resemblance,” Buddy explained as he hunched back over the table. “She didn’t resemble Kara, Rogue, or the twins at all. No resemblance to Zal-El or Kal-El. This is someone different. And her personality is much more direct.”
“Well, Sir,” Major Jim Bob Taylor suggested, “we can get the Gold K easily enough. We can get the locations without endangering our contacts overly much. And, frankly, I don’t see a down side for us. She’s right…the Zoners will come for us, just to set that example.”
“Ah, good!” Buddy heard the voice of Project Alex behind him as he stood in a smaller office with a handful of his senior staff. She had returned, standing at a table below his maps.
“We think we’ve got all of them spotted,” Buddy explained as his senior staff gaped at the woman, who was floating off the ground to gaze at one of the maps.
“Sorry, not minding my manners,” Ellen floated down to the ground. “Not sure what to call myself, so we’re using ‘Project Alex.’ I’m trying not to raise my profile any more than absolutely necessary.”
“Fair enough,” Col Craddock replied for the group. “I’m Jill Craddock, this is…”
“If Faora is dead, that leaves twenty nine Zoners,” Buddy revealed as he pointed to the map. “General Dru-Zod appears to be the leader,” he announced as he stuck labeled pictures to the wall. “Zod enforces discipline and settles boundary disputes between the other Zoners. He’s effective. He’s also the only military officer in the lot.”
“That’s convenient,” Ellen observed as Buddy’s team stuck names and photos against locations across the globe. “Do they tend to congregate?”
“No,” Buddy explained. “Most of them don’t. Ursa Dru-Zod is the General’s consort, but they don’t spend that much time together. They have separate castles in Europe. Nadira and Az-Rel tend to stay here,” he pointed to Panama City, “together, but most of the rest are sadistic loners. Jax-Ur was one of the worst—the story goes that he blew up a moon on Krypton and has been debating blowing up Earth’s moon in retaliation for his imprisonment, but General Zod vetoed that idea.”
“Thank heaven for small favors,” Ellen replied as she watched more names align against more places and faces. “That would be General Zod’s castle?” She prodded as she looked up at the map. “Looks like a castle in Norway. Shouldn’t be hard to find.”
“We could have someone guide you in,” Jill offered.
“No…” Ellen replied. “I don’t want to endanger your sources. The fewer of them I know, the better. How long until the Gold K is ready?”
“That will take us about eight more hours,” Buddy explained. “We don’t keep it nearby. We can get a small amount in an hour or two, but I don’t think it will meet your needs.”
“Probably not,” Ellen agreed. “How soon can you reset the death-trap you used on Faora? Once we have the Gold K, that will be one of the places we’ll need to have ready. And you’ll want to have tempting targets to draw in the Zoners.” Crossing her arms, she strummed her fingers on her elbow. “Actually, let’s upgrade that trap a little bit…”
Jimmy stepped back through the rubble, imitating his approach from the previous day. Normally, he would not approach the Superman Family monument twice in the same week, but he had made a promise he intended to keep.
Ellen had arrived before him. She held his parka in her hand.
“Jimmy, I think I’m about to put you in extreme danger. And I really need your help at the Fortress first.”
“It’s better than non-stop boredom…” Jimmy accepted the parka.
General Zod paced the floors of his castle. An ancient structure, it had an essence of strength and timelessness that appealed to him. It didn’t hurt that the castle residents had easily conformed to his demands. From his point of view, a good place from which to rule the world.
But what occupied his mind at the moment was the missing Faora Hu-Ul. It was not unusual for any of the Zoners to go missing for periods of time; any of them could fly into space at any time. Still, there were limits as to how far they could go and Faora had been gone far too long.
He wasn’t sure that was a bad thing…She had tried to kill other Zoners since their release from the Phantom Zone as well as far too many Terran males. Still, no one else had gone missing since their release from the Zone. He would have to commission a search party.
His concentration was interrupted as a woman he had never seen before entered his quarters carrying food. Typically dressed for the Norwegian fall, she did not seem unusual, except for a small box on the tray that he could not see through. That raised his suspicions…Green Kryptonite, or worse. Still, he sensed no elevated heart rate. Then he realized that the beat of her heart sounded all wrong.
“Stop where you are, or I will kill you,” he warned the woman as she approached.
“Really?” The woman responded calmly. “The Union told me this was a tough job. They didn’t tell me about the death threats.” She stepped towards him. “I need you to sign for the meal, please.”
“Die, you fool!” He fired heat vision towards her, incinerating her clothes, but having no other effect on her. He realized quickly that the woman was a fellow Kryptonian. Then he considered that no matter what she exposed him to, she would be exposed to the same thing. Suicidal?
“Was that really necessary?” Now naked except for a single necklace, she opened the lead box. He could feel the Gold K rays pouring out over him, stripping his powers. She closed the box, stepping back from him as she counted to ten.
“You fool!” He shouted. “How dare you? Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”
“Yes, General, I certainly do,” Ellen replied in fluent Kryptonian. “If you want to kill a demon, you cut off its head. Clark Kent taught me that.” In an instant, she removed his clothes.
“Why did you…” he asked as she threw a tablecloth to him.
“Your britches are still invulnerable and you carry weapons,” Ellen replied as she fired her Phantom Zone projector, sending him back to the zone.
“I have no idea where he is!” Ursa Dru-Zod argued back to Jax-Ur. “Put your pointed little scientist brain back to work. First Faora went missing, and now the General. What does your brilliant mind tell you?”
The twenty-eight remaining Phantom Zone Escapees stood together in Zod’s castle as their leaders argued in their midst. No one had been overly upset with Faora’s disappearance…most of the men considered their lives to have been enriched by her absence. But General Zod was another matter. As the head of their community, he managed common interests, mediated disputes, and enforced discipline.
Zora Vi-Zar spoke next, leaning her back against a castle pillar.
“Do you think they ran off together?”
“Seriously?” Roz-Em laughed. “Zod isn’t that stupid. Faora is too uncontrollable.”
“It has to be the Resistance,” Ursa concluded. “Somehow, they’ve managed to do something. But what?”
“I propose,” Jax-Ur announced, “that we go for the obvious. Raine’s Rebels are close to Faora’s hunting zone. They may have found some way to bring Faora down.”
“That makes sense,” Ursa commended his recommendation, “but we should follow up other leads as well.”
“I think it’s time to take out Jimmy Olsen,” Zora stated with a predatory grin, “we’ve let him live for grins and giggles. I say we torture him for what he knows before we execute him in public.”
“All right,” Ursa nodded her approval. “Probably long overdue.”
“Let’s not pick more objectives, yet,” Jax-Ur warned his fellow Zoners. “We shouldn’t split into more than two teams. Whatever is hunting us may be hoping for just that. I suggest that we do split into two teams and follow these leads. Once we’re done, we’ll regroup and pick new targets.”
“Fine, Jax,” Ursa agreed. “I’ll lead the team to hunt down Raine’s Rebels. You get Jimmy Olsen.”
“Agreed.”
“How do we find Olsen?” Jax-Ur flew with his team over the skies of the North Atlantic.
“He leads a pathetic little life,” Zora explained. “He knows we’re tracking him, so he can’t play an active role in the Resistance. So he doesn’t stray too far from the Superman Family Memorial. We can go there and use X-Ray vision and super-hearing to catch him from there. He’s nothing more than a rat trapped in a cage.”
“Easy enough,” Jax-Ur agreed as they approached the memorial, vaporizing it as they landed. “I doubt they’ll be so anxious to rebuild it this time.”
“He’s been here recently,” Zora sniffed the air. “This way.”
“There they are,” Ursa informed her team, pointing westward as they flew, “Buddy Raines and his miserable minions. What a pain in the ass…”
“There!” Roz-Em pointed. “Look in that hangar!”
Buddy and his senior team inspected their tanks within one of their maintenance facilities. Heavy tanks, they carried depleted uranium shells. Ursa could see that at several sites within the facility, radioactive arms were carefully sealed in lead containers. An explosion of any one of the containers would extinguish every human in the facility. Excellent!
Jax-Ur and his team found Jimmy in a small cave, not far below the surface. The small room he occupied offered just enough space for the entire group. They crowded in, leaving no chance of escape.
“It’s time to die, Jimmy!” Zora crowed as he turned around, rising. “First, we’re going to squeeze everything you know out of you, then we’re going to pull you apart over the Superman Family memorial. I wonder how long you’re going to live once I start removing your limbs.”
“Long enough,” Jimmy answered, holding a switch in his hand for them to see.
“Nice try,” Jax-Ur disintegrated the switch in Jimmy’s hand, before the younger man had a chance to press it.
Then Jax-Ur’s entire team felt nausea as waves of Gold Kryptonite radiation swept over them. Jimmy stepped against a wall, pulling a high-powered automatic submachine gun and a package of clothing from behind a dresser.
“Deadman’s switch,” Jimmy related. “Take off your clothes or I’ll take off your heads.”
“We’ll do no such thing,” Jax-Ur protested. Jimmy fired the gun, creasing the side of the scientist’s head.
“Now.”
They complied, slowly removing their clothes and putting on the clothing Jimmy had supplied them. As soon as they were done, he directed them to one corner before tapping the necklace he now wore. The escapees flashed back into the Phantom Zone, leaving him alone in the room with their tools and clothing.
“In case you’re wondering,” Jimmy announced, “Gold K affects you, not your clothes. I wasn’t going to leave you the invulnerable clothing or any of your other gadgets. And this gun was especially designed just for you. Powered or not, ordinary bullets would have no effect on your thick hides.”
He gazed into the open air.
“You stole my wife, my friends, my world. But now this world will have a future, free of you.”
“They’re coming,” Buddy heard in his earpiece, “a little over a dozen.” He nodded to his team. Project Alex had been right—the Zoners had split their forces. He would get Ursa, or Jax-Ur, but probably not both. He hoped it was Ursa, feeling relief as he quickly realized that it would be.
She flew in to the maintenance depot with her team, circling around him and his staff, cutting them off from the rest of his forces.
Thata Girl! Buddy thought to himself, get overconfident. You have no clue what’s in store for you.
“Where are Zod and Faora?” Ursa demanded as she floated in front of him, “or do we do this the hard way?”
“We don’t know,” Buddy admitted, “we thought we killed Faora, but we can’t seem to find her.”
“You did what?” An enraged Ursa flew towards Buddy, stopping inches from his face.
“She said she liked it rough,” Buddy exclaimed, “so my boys gave it to her rough. Her and her little dog Zod, too!”
Ursa’s team closed in as she picked Buddy up by the collar.
“Listen to me, little man. If any harm has come to General Zod, I’ll…”
“You’ll what, sweetie?” Buddy retorted. “Kill me, you learn nothing. My senior staff has cyanide and they’re ready to crunch it.”
A brief scan showed that each member of the senior staff did indeed have a wafer of something between their molars.
“And if my heart stops,” Buddy threatened, “this whole facility goes.”
She put him down, stepping back.
Suddenly, a wave of nausea flashed over her; a mixture of Green Kryptonite and Gold Kryptonite. The Green sapped their strength while the gold permanently removed all of it. Then Buddy kicked the floor, which dropped the false floor beneath the Zoners a depth of twenty feet.
Landing hard, the Zoners soon realized that they were out of range of the Green Kryptonite. But, the Gold Kryptonite had done its damage. None of the Zoners had any power of flight.
“We’ll be taking that wonderful clothing of yours,” Buddy ordered from above. “Here’s some new togs for you.” His men threw down several packages of clothing.
“We’ll do no such thing,” Roz-Em argued.
“Your choice,” Buddy held out his hand while Jill Craddock handed him an enhanced semi-automatic weapon. Aiming the gun at Roz-Em’s head, he fired. The remaining Zoners gasped in disbelief as Roz-Em’s now headless body pitched over. “Anyone else want to be next?”
Stunned, the remaining Zoners slowly changed out of their Kryptonian gear and into the clothing Buddy had provided.
“Him too,” Buddy pointed at Roz-Em’s remains. The repulsed looks on the faces of the Zoners almost made Buddy laugh. Once they completed their task, he herded them into a corner of the pit, just before he fired the Phantom Zone projector hidden in the gun.
Buddy reset the floor, allowing his men to retrieve the clothing.
“Sir!” Buddy heard one of his men calling, “you have a visitor.”
“I’m busy!” Buddy roared. “Who and why do I care?”
“He says that one plus one plus fourteen plus fourteen is thirty.”
“Let him through!”
“It’s done, General,” Jimmy Olsen informed Buddy. “The long night is finally over.”
“Where is she?” Buddy questioned Jimmy. “Where is Project Alex?”
“Somewhere else,” Jimmy explained. “She knows her work here is done. She believes that the only way this world will heal is if the Shadow of Krypton is gone. She doesn’t want to be Superwoman. And she is free to travel out there.” Jimmy pointed towards the heavens.
“Ever find out who she was?” Buddy inquired.
“No,” Jimmy admitted, “but I’d sure like to. She made me want to believe in myself and I haven’t felt like that in a very long time.”
“Me, too,” Buddy agreed.
“Oh,” Jimmy grinned, “she left this for you.” He handed a wrapped package to Buddy.
Buddy unraveled the paper, to find a glass sculpture of a woman—Hippolyta. A small note fell out of the bottom.
“No hard feelings, but I still don’t think she was right for you.”
He chuckled as he gazed at the statue, remembering. He drew in a deep breath. The long, dark night was finally over. This world would have another chance. If only this Earth had the wisdom to take advantage of it.
Then he glanced up and realized Jimmy Olsen had left, taking with him the Zoners’ clothing. The gun in Buddy’s hands felt warm and he saw smoke coming from under the barrel—the Phantom Zone projector had self-destructed, but caused no other damage to the gun.
Then he realized that he could not remember Project Alex’s face.
“Super hypnosis,” Buddy muttered, nodding his head as he gazed back at the sculpture. “She’ll be back,” he gazed back up at his men. “The universe doesn’t make a woman like that, just to let her fade into obscurity.”
He got no arguments. He didn’t expect that he would.
Jimmy stood on his favorite mountain of rubble, across from what had been the Superman Family memorial. The citizens of Metropolis had already begun to build a new memorial, undoing the last damage by the Phantom Zoners. He wondered when they would install a more permanent memorial and if he would see it. He would not stay to watch the construction…he had done his part. Now, there wasn’t anything more he could do. He just wanted to get away.
“You did it, Jim,” he heard Ellen’s voice beside him. “They can rest in peace.”
“We did it,” Jimmy countered, gazing at her. “You, me, Raines’ Rebels, we all did our part. I’m sure the Rebels will be spreading the word that it’s finally over.”
“That’s fine,” Ellen nodded with a smile. “Let them take the credit. I’m just glad it’s done. Now this world will start to heal.”
“Figured out what you’re going to do next, Lois?” Jimmy offered innocently. “You’ve got a lot to offer no matter where you go.”
“I…” Halfway through her thought, she realized what he had called her. “I’m not your Lois Lane.”
“I know that,” Jimmy smiled, gazing back towards the rubble. “Maybe you’re like me…wherever you’re from, you’ve outlived everyone you’ve ever loved. But you just wanted to do one more thing, just because you could. And now it’s done. And now it’s time to move on.”
She gazed at him with admiration in her eyes, shaking her head.
“They did so much to you. I am so amazed that you’re not consumed by what has been done to you.”
He sighed, gazing at the mound of rubble.
“To what end? I loved them, but I lost them so long ago. I’ll miss them every day for the rest of my life. But they’re never coming back. So it’s time to move on.” He turned to smile at her. “And maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll find a place where Ellen Starr, Star Reporter and her Pulitzer-winning photographer can make a difference.”
The warmth in her expression was almost tangible. Side effect of heat vision?
“Funny,” she replied, “I was just hoping the exact same thing.”
“And besides,” Jimmy quipped, “I’ve always believed that living well is the best revenge.”
End—The Revenge of the Sidekick