Post by Stardrifter on Aug 11, 2011 23:23:07 GMT -5
by
Stardrifter001
Control
"Ha ha ha ha ha! This is awesome!"
Hank frowns but remains silent. He stands behind John's right shoulder as he and two of his men are sitting at the computer consoles, controlling the giant robots that are menacing Metropolis. Hank's always been there for John ever since they were kids. Hank helped John through school, and by help he means cheated, while John protected Hank from all who would prey on him. All except John himself. When Hank went to college, John was there supporting him with his "business" on campus. Hank knew of all the illegal things John did, but it was mostly harmless. Theft, drugs, racketeering, and prostitution. Sure like any criminal activity there were times someone got hurt, but Hank was always spared from such ugliness. Now, standing there as John and his men take his creations on a killing spree, Hank realizes for the first time just how far John can go.
"Oh shit! Macky, get that Taurus over there!" John yells. Macky answers with a rocket to the Ford Taurus, killing all the passengers. "Yeah!!"
"Nice shot Macky," Duke laughs. "But you can't beat this!" Duke controls his robot to lift a parked car over it's head and throws it into the side of a building. It crashes through the office window and crushes the people inside.
"Nice!" Macky grins in approval.
Hank begins to pace back and forth, wringing his hands. John takes notice. "What is it Hank?" he asks through his teeth, not bothering to look away from his monitor. "Do you have a problem with this?"
Hank stops his pacing and looks at the back of John's head, scared to move and unsure what to say. He has to say something though. Not answering would be just as bad. "I...I um...just don't know if this is r-really necessary. I-I jus..."
"Necessary?!" John yells, swinging his chair around and coming to his feet. Hank reflexively cringes but John grabs him by the collar anyway. "Not really necessary is it? So I guess we should just leave these poor people alone huh?! Just let them think they and their stupid flyboy can walk all over us huh?! HUH?!" When Hank doesn't answer John backhands him in the jaw. He holds onto his collar to keep him from falling, but his glasses fall to the floor with a tiny bit of blood. "I'm TRYING to own this city! To own all the crime in Metropolis! Is this necessary?! Of course it is! These people need to know they can't fuck with John Corben! Their little super hero isn't going to save them! That's how life works Hank! You know this!" John punches him in the stomach, this time letting him fall. "The strong prey on the weak! You're either the one in control or the one being controlled! You're on top or you're as good as dead! And John Corben is NOT gonna..."
A loud crash from the speakers interrupts him. Macky starts frantically pressing his controls. The view from his screen is all over the place. "What the fuck was that?"
John rushes back into his seat and takes control of his robot again. He and Duke look for Macky's robot and find him lodged into the side of a building. Macky fights with the controls to get him back on his feet. "What happened?" John asks. "What hit yo..." John's mouth hangs open briefly as his camera settles on the object of his hatred. Then an evil grin spreads from ear to ear. "Superman."
***
It wasn't hard for Clark to slip away in the chaos at the Daily Planet. For the most part, the people working there handled the situation like seasoned pros. Rather than panicking, they went about covering the event. Lois grabbed Jimmy by the back of his shirt and dragged him to the elevator to get down to the street. In all the raucous, Clark slipped into the men's bathroom and out the window at super speed.
Seeing the death at the hands of these machines, Superman decides to use the direct approach. He flies directly into the chest of one, slamming it into the side of the nearby building. He hovers back into the air and turns to the other two. Before he can act, a voice rings out into the air.
"Superman! I've been waiting for you!" the voice crackles from a speaker on one of the robots. "Everyone in the city seems to think you can protect them from the monsters under their bed. I'm about to prove them wrong!"
Plates over the shoulders of the robot open to reveal a spread of missiles. They fire directly at Superman. He tries to rise up above them, but isn't fast enough and the explosion sends him reeling back onto the street. Before he can rise to his feet, chain gun fire from the two robots rips into him. After about thirty seconds, they stop firing and let the smoke clear. The third robot gets to it's feet and stands with them, watching for their victory.
"You see Metropolis!" the robot cries out to the bystanders. The people trapped, those who ran but stopped to cheer on Superman, and those who risked their lives to watch. "Your valiant hero! The Man of Tomorrow! Gunned down in less than a minute!"
All eyes turn toward the smoke as it clears. The pavement is cracked and broken. In the center of it stands Superman, arms crossed over his chest, cape blowing slightly in the breeze. Not a scratch on him.
Superman uses the moment of awe to act. He flies straight at them, but rather than barrel into the robots he stops short of the first one, grabs it by the arm, and flips it over his head and into the pavement. When it hits is sounds like thunder to all within earshot. Turning his head, Superman looks at the next robot and his eyes glow bright red. The robot's head begins to melt and it falls to the ground. The third robot reacts in time and reaches out, grabbing Superman in both hands and smashes him into the ground.
An angry expression falls across Superman's face as he lifts himself up. He flies up to the robot and punches it once with a left. As it lifts into the air in the direction of his punch, he swings hard with his right to meet it, knocking it back down to the ground. Before he can continue, a rocket hits him in the back and sends him flying down the street. He turns to see the first robot back on it's feet. It fires another rocket at him, but he deftly sidesteps it and grabs it with his hand. Using it's own momentum, he spin his arm around fluidly to send the rocket right back at the robot. It hits it in the shoulder and explodes, destroying the left arm.
The other robot fires it's guns at Superman full blast, but the bullets never reach him. He flies straight up into the air. The robot tries to track him , continuing to fire into the air, but it loses sight of him. Suddenly a blue and red blur falls from out of the sky and onto the robot. Superman's impact drives the robot into the ground. Standing on top of the wreckage, he grabs what's left of the upper body and tears it off, leaving exposed wires sparking as he tosses it aside.
The last robot, still reeling from the rocket explosion, awkwardly tries to backhand Superman. He easily ducks the blow. The last thing the camera picks up is Superman's fist going straight for it.
***
Sparks fly as the computers crash all over the floor. Macky and Duke back out of the way of John's outburst. Hank tries to slink away while his attention is elsewhere, but it's no use. John rushes over and grabs his arm, throws him face first to the floor, and kneels on his back, twisting his arm behind him.
"What the hell was that?! Your robots weren't worth shit!" Hank's cries of pain fall on deaf ears. Spit falls from John's mouth as he screams all over the back of Hank's head. "I spent a fortune on those hunks of scrap! That freak just made a fool out of me!" John bends his arm so far the shoulder pops out of it's socket. When Hank screams, he reaches down, grabs a fistful of hair, and slams his face into the floor. Hank loses consciousness.
His immediate rage spent, John stands up and looks at his two men. Their eyes are filled with fear. Not sure what to do, Macky risks asking, "What now boss?"
John's shoulders slump and he walks away. "I have no idea."
***
The aftermath of the battle is a grim place. The robots came out from the river and left a messy trail behind them. Automobiles were the easiest and worst hit targets. The buildings along the way weren't much better, but the sound of the robots coming let most people inside get away in time. Still, the death toll is close to a hundred with the wounded far greater. Superman remains to help the police and EMTs. Security teams from Lexcorp arrive to help as well, along with Lex Luthor himself.
"Mr. Luthor! Mr. Luthor!" Cat Grant yells out as she runs up to see Lex helping lift a cross beam off an old man. Her cameraman gets in close for the shot.
"I'm a....little...busy...." Lex grunts with the effort. With the help of one of his men, they're able to free the old man so the EMTs can help him. After they drop the beam, Lex's assistant hands him a water bottle, which he drinks down in one chug.
"Mr. Luthor," Cat continues persistently. "The police are baffled as to who is responsible for all this. As one of the premiere technological suppliers in the world, do you have any idea who might be behind these attacks?"
Many of the other reporters, both television and print, start to gather. Lex sees Lois and Jimmy walk up out of the corner of his eye. Lex takes a deep breath and turns to look at Cat. If they did a poll to see which news reporter in Metropolis people would assume Lex would date, she would win. In fact when the news hit that Lex was dating Lois, rumor has it Cat took it personally. Cat was the ideal in media driven beauty. Long blond hair, perfect cheek bones, tiny waist, fake breasts. Everyone knew her job reporting for the Metropolis branch of Fox News was only a stepping stone to something much bigger.
"I have no idea who might have done this, Ms. Grant," Lex says stoically. "In fact I haven't had time to even consider it. My focus has been on trying to save as many lives as we can right now."
"An admirable goal," Cat brushes his answer aside. "But surely you must..."
"How did you manage to get down here so fast?" Lois yells over the crowd, interrupting Cat. It takes all of Cat's training not to visibly scowl in front of the camera. "Since when do corporations have a trauma team standing by?"
"Since I do, Ms. Lane." Lex gives her a slight smile in thanks for redirecting the questions. "My company might be global, but Metropolis is my home. Lexcorp can afford to keep disaster relief on the payroll and I see no reason not to. Especially in this day and age. We just want to help."
"I know I'm thankful for it."
The crowd looks up to see Superman land in front of them. The sound of cameras clicking like mad fill the air. All the reporters shout questions at once, but it's Lex who finally takes control. "So this is Metropolis' new hero?" he asks as he extends his hand. Superman takes it and the reporters take advantage of the photo opportunity. "It's nice to meet you Superman."
"Likewise," Superman smiles. "I've read about all your humanitarian work. You should be getting just as much praise as me."
"I do what I can, but you're the one who takes out giant robots single handedly. I've never had a reporter give me a name like Superman." Lex turns to Lois with a raised eyebrow. She blushes slightly at the jab.
"Superman, do you know who caused this?" Cat jabs her microphone in his face.
"I can't say for certain, but I believe the voice I heard from the robot was the same man I apprehended last week."
"John Corben?" Lois asks. "He and his men were broken out of jail by a robot as well. But the police have no idea where he is?"
Superman turns toward the remains of the robots. "I think I do."
***
Hank wakes up to agonizing pain. It's not for the first time. He cries out when he tries to lift himself off the floor. The sharp pain in his shoulder, tell tale sign it's dislocated. Rather nonchalantly, he forces his bone back into it's socket. The relief is immediate, but not complete. A gentle touch to his mouth and nose discovers dried blood. Luckily the nose doesn't seem to be broken. Not this time anyway.
Without thinking, Hank brings his arm up to check his watch. Too fast, he cries out again. This time slowly, he checks his watch. Two and a half hours. Not bad. It's been worse. "Eh?" Hank grunts, raising his good arm to shield his eyes as bright, blinking lights flash from outside. Slowly lowering his arm, he notices the colors. Blue and red.
The quiet is suddenly broken by the sounds of gunshots. Yelling follows, so far away he can't make out what's being said. Panic spreads through him like a winter's chill. The pain is pushed to the back of his mind by the fear. Leaping to his feet, Hank rushes for his computers, pressing the buttons on each to fry the hard drives. More shots ring out, a slamming noise, a scream of pain. A noise comes from the doorway and Hank finds himself pointing a pistol in it's direction. His hand shaking so hard he almost misfires.
"It's me you fucking..." Another round of shots interrupt John and he turns to slam the door shut. "Are you cleaning up?"
"Of course!" Hank yells, frustration getting the better of him. "I'm almost done! I..." The two men jump and twist around as the wall crashes down behind them. Standing in the hole, police cruiser lights glaring behind him, stands Superman.
"Why am I not surprised?" The anger in Superman's voice leaves both men stunned for a moment. "This time you're staying behind bars, Corben!"
The sound that comes from John's mouth can't really be considered a word. Neither is it exactly a shout. It's the sound a man makes when all hope seems lost and all that is left is the rage within him. Grabbing the assault rifle strapped around his chest, John lets loose with everything he has. All thought is abandoned beyond one. Kill.
In a flash it's over. Superman races forward in a blur, tearing the gun out of his hands and tossing it aside. The force causes the strap to snap painfully against John's back. Superman grabs a fistful of his shirt and lift's John off his feet. Hank just stands there gaping, a statue.
When the cops come rushing in through the hole in the wall, John cracks. "Don't hurt me! It-it wasn't my fault! I was just following orders. It was him!"
For Hank Henshaw, all time stops. He looks at this man, pointing at him like a child caught by their parents, and his world comes crashing down. All their lives, John has looked out for Hank. Through all the ups and downs, all the successes and failures, John has been there for him. Sure John had a temper. When Hank failed him, he paid for it. But it was never that bad. He always knew John didn't hate him. He was just mad. Like Hank's father was. Only now, in a last ditch effort to save himself from even the slightest bit of blame, Hank is betrayed. Something snaps.
A growl escapes his lungs as Hank leaps into the air and lands on John, hands wrapping around his throat. The shock of it causes Superman to use more force than intended in pushing Hank off him. He flies across the room into a pile of robotic parts against the wall. When he gets back up, Superman and all the police shout to get down.
Holding a spare rocket launcher from one of his robots, Hank fires it straight at Superman and John. Superman moves to shield John as best he can, the blast sends them both flying across the room. They smash into the fuel tank for the robots, breaking it open slightly. The fuel pours out like a fountain, right on to Superman's burning cape.
The resulting explosion rocks Hob's Bay. It spreads to the nearby warehouses, setting them on fire. The police outside are thrown to the ground, many covered in burning debris, others thrown into the salt water of the bay. Coming to his feet in the center of it all, Superman does the only thing he can. He saves lives.
***
It's over an hour later when the last of the fires is finally put out. Emergency responders from all over Metropolis arrive to help the injured. The media is in a frenzy, running all over to find clues and interview survivors. It's among the chaos where Lois and Jimmy find Lt. Dan Turpin being interviewed by...
"Clark!" Lois yells so loud all around her can hear even over the chaos around them. "How in God's name did you get down here so fast?!"
Clark ignores her for a moment to finish with Turpin. "Thank you for your time, Lieutenant," he says while shaking Turpin's hand. "Do you mind if I follow up with you tomorrow?"
"That's fine Kent," Turpin grumbles. "Lane."
As Turpin walks away, Clark turns to see Lois giving him a stare that could curdle milk. By the color of her face, Clark would swear the fires were still raging around them if he didn't know better. "I got a tip about the raid before it happened."
"A tip? From who?"
"Oh Lois, you know a reporter doesn't give away his sources." Clark hides a smirk as he finishes jotting down some notes in his notepad.
"I'm amazed, CK," Jimmy says, patting Clark on the shoulder. "Most reporters have a hate/hate relationship with Turpin. He seemed to just mildly dislike you."
"I guess I just have a different approach than most of the reporters he's used to. More respectful and less..." Clark looks at Lois, letting his smirk show this time. "Abrasive."
Jimmy laughs out loud but stops when he sees the look on Lois' face. For her part, she remains calm and lets his comment slide. For the moment. "So what did you get?"
"Not a lot. It was John Corben and his men. There was another man they found, identity unknown. Corben tried to pin it on him when Superman caught them and he went berserk. Fired a rocket that caused this explosion."
"So what happened to them?"
"Two of Corben's men caught at the beginning of the raid survived. The others are dead." Clark frowns while looking back at the wreckage of the warehouse. "Superman searched all over for Corben and the other man after the fire was out, but...nothing."
"So they're dead?" Jimmy asks while snapping pictures of the scene. "Burnt up?"
Clark peers off into the river, focusing intently. "I have no idea."
***
Four days later...
John awakes to a bright light shining in his face. He spends a long time staring at the cracks in the ceiling tiles, finding patterns and shapes in them. He can't say how much time passes. Time doesn't seem to have any meaning. He tries to move but he can't feel his body. He tries to speak but nothing comes. Eventually he realizes he's not even breathing. His entire existence is the bright light and the cracked, peeling ceiling tiles.
After God knows how long, he fades away again. When he wakes, the light is pulled back, no longer directly in his face, but the ceiling tiles remain. There's a new feeling this time. A sense of weight. A sense of self. It's impossible to describe. It just is.
"Good morning." The voice is distant. Across the room. John turns toward it, but it doesn't feel right. He sees Hank standing at a computer. The room is dark and small. Robotic parts lay all over the floor. Hank looks up and smiles at him. "Nice to see you're feeling better. What's the last thing you remember?"
"IIIIiii...." The word comes out long and stale. It's his voice yet not. "I...I waaas at thhhhe warrrehouse. The poliiiceeee...."
"Yes the police." Hank smiles and walks over. He reaches down at John's head and does something. "That was a hairy situation. Fortunately I managed to find you and get you away."
"We escaped?" John asks. His words are better but the voice still seems off to him.
"Yes, though I'm afraid you were...well I did what I could." Hank goes to a small table and picks up a hand mirror. He brings it over and puts it in front of John's face.
"Wh...what! What have you...AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRR!!!" The face that stares back at him is not his own. It's cold, gray, metallic. Rage fills him as he tries to sit up. It's hard at first. Once he's up he looks down at his body and sees more gray metal. The shape of him is skeletal. "RAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!"
John looks up and sees a giant grin on Hank's face. There's a coldness in his eyes that John has never seen before. Cold and malevolent. In his anger John reaches for him, looking to do what he always does to release it. His robotic hand stops inches short of Hank's face. John looks around himself, trying to find what is keeping him back. There's nothing there so he throws himself at Hank again. His body stops short, and Hank begins to laugh.
"You really think I wouldn't have taken precautions? You won't be laying another finger on me ever again." Hank turns his back on him to go back to the computer. John continues to try and attack him to no avail. "In all honesty I did save your life. Your body was...well it was beyond saving. Fortunately I was able to download your mind into a computer with an experimental procedure I'd been working on. I wasn't sure it would work. Surprise surprise."
John falls to his knees. In his mind he wants to cry, but his new body doesn't give him the option. "How could you do this to me? I'm your friend!"
Hank spins around, an intense look of anger on his face. The look alone takes John aback, the pain screaming through his mind when Hank presses a button on his computer is worse. "Friend?! John Corben was never my friend! I know that now. He did teach me a valuable lesson though. He taught me you're either the one in control or the one being controlled. Well now John is dead, and I'm in control. In complete control of you, Metallo."
The End