Tales From Superboy! (Discontinued)

#8

From within Lex Tower, Dr. Kent and Lex Luthor take refuge from the madness outside – the darkness that's trying its damnedest to pry its way inside. For what, one had to wonder. It wasn't quite clear, but Dr. Kent has a guess or two in mind. 

The two gaze out the window of the 13th floor hallway and down at the pool of countless corrupted civilians that lash out at the foot of the building. A soft scowl wrinkles Lex Luthor's features as his frustration boils.

"What are they after? What does she hope to find here? There's been no demands, no implication of the sort, nor any history with anyone who's capable of doing something like this..."

"One could only wonder, Mr. Luthor." Dr. Kent comments nonchalantly, though in truth, she was aware that she may have been carrying the very reason within her right hand inside a steel briefcase. If she was being honest with herself, a confrontation was inevitable. She would have to defend herself at some point if not sooner. With that realization in mind, the kryptonian genius internally sighs and decides that she'll at least buy the innocent people inside the building a few more precious moments. It's seconds that Lex speaks up again.

"Well, I'm not going to stand around and wait here. It's a good thing I had a specialized bunker built under the building for such an occasion. That, and a failsafe... I have no particular wish to lay witness to Metropolis fall in absolute ruin, but better the Justice League and the entirety of the city than me." Lex announces far too stoically as he adjusts his tie. He then turns to depart for the elevator, offering Dr. Kent an opportunity to join him as he does.

"You'd be wise to join me, Dr. Kent. Me and the others, that is."

"A kind gesture, Mr. Luthor, but I'll have to decline. If the world is to end, then I'd like to see it in real time. However–" She trails off as she approaches him, reaching around his person to hand over the briefcase while also momentarily stopping him in his tracks.

"You should definitely take this with you. Better it be within your hands than mine right now, sir." She tells him just before he takes the item from her grip. Arching a hairless brow as he studies it.

"What's inside of it?" He asks.

"An asset of Lex Corps, of course." She answers. She moves back toward the window while Lex takes a moment to unlock and open the briefcase, finding himself greeted by the illuminating glow of the mysterious cube he tasked a particular branch of his company to research. He briefly reaches inside to lift and study it, eventually setting it back in place before he shuts the case and resumes to take his leave.

"A shame you would make such a decision, but who am I to tell someone how to spend the last moment of their life? Farewell and good luck, Ms. Kent. You're going to need it." Lex gives his parting words before stepping onto the elevator and riding it all the way down to the first floor. With his departure, she lifts her right forearm and brushes her sleeve back before pressing her opposing point finger to the far side of the seemingly normal silver bangle on her right wrist, then tracing that same finger along its curved surface. A trail of light illuminates from where her finger print has been dragged over just before the accessory breaks down into tiny particles, somehow into far more bits than what seems plausible. As she slips out of her lab coat, the material from her tech bangle begins plastering upon her person. Working to cover Dr. Kent from the neck down until her entire attire is covered in a vibrant white coating. With a glisten of red, her monochrome suit shifts to jet black while not only a crimson cape materializes from her shoulders, but also a diamond shaped crest takes form over her chest - one bearing a bold red 'S' at its center. Giving up her charade of being a simple and normal pedestrian, Dr. Kent becomes Superwoman.

"Been quite some time since I last put this on..." She comments to herself while studying the sleeves of her nanotech suit. However, she didn't have time to reminisce or find a mirror. Without warming, the protective barrier around the building goes down and the hostile force outside inevitably breaks inside.

Down below on the first floor, Lex Luthor had just gotten off the first elevator and was in the midst of punching in a code to enter a specialized one. A third elevator with only three stops. The floor his office resides on, the first floor, and the sub level deep under the building. Just as he was moving to step onto the lift, someone begins phasing through the entrance of the building until they're completely through. That individual being none other than The Flash. And all it takes is a glimpse of Lex Luthor before the corrupted speedster moves and closes within nanoseconds, swiping the case from the businessman's hand before the doors begin to close. Before his descent, the last thing Lex sees is the turned Speedster taking a look inside of the steel briefcase. 

Soon after, the building's front doors finally burst open from the relentless horde outside. However, they didn't begin to pile inside. A pathway was cleared down the middle of the crowd to allow the leading head of the negative army to easily stroll inside for her prize. The very item of interest Barry runs over to mindfully hand over to her. She plucks the cube out of its container and gazes upon the illuminating object as a subtle grin takes shape upon her lips. However, it would be rather short lived.

"I'll take that, thank you." Faster than a speeding bullet, the woman of steel comes flying out of the blue and snatching up while heading outside. Down the narrow pathway before curving to head skyward about 40 feet, twirling 540 degrees as she comes to smugly gaze down upon the corrupted citizens and heroes below.

"I had a feeling you'd be after this in particular. I had hoped it could be safely hidden with Lex, but no matter. As long as I'm still around, whatever scheme you have planned will not come into flourishing so easily." The kryptonian explains, taunting even, at a volume where her voice could be heard from blocks away - more than adequately enough for the one responsible for this entire ordeal to hear her clearly.

"Ton kniht I!" Captain Atom exclaims as he lounges at Superwoman with hostility. He throws a straight jab, but his target nonchalantly sways out of his way. Just as he turns toward her to follow up on his attempt, he's met by a tamed, yet solid uppercut to the chin that staggers him. With that very same fist, the heroine in black & crimson sends him rocketing away with a far more imposing blow - one that cracks throughout the sky like lightning and sends him smashing through several buildings before crash landing and forming a crater in the street.

Then, she goes on the move. Heading off away from Lex Tower just before Shazam, Hawkgirl, Wonder Woman, and John Stewart give chase. The latter also using a throne construct to bring along their leader.

Meanwhile, the trio of Superman, Hal Jordan, and Martian Manhunter were just returning. 

"Hey, do you guys see that?" Hal asks upon spotting someone in the distance.

"Yes, I do. Be prepared for anything." Manhunter advises. However, Connor was squinting his eyes seconds before Hal realized they were approaching an incoming individual. With the aid of his visual talents, he studies the being from a far. A woman in black is what he sees, and she's being mindful of what may lie in front of her.

"Hold on, I don't think that's an enemy. But... she is on the verge of–!" Before he could finish, the woman in question roughly collides right into him. The item in her possession goes flying while the two end up tumbling uncontrollably in mid air, turning, twisting, flipping within a bracing embrace until they both get their flight under control. 

"Subject 13?"

"Dr. Kent?"

"I thought you may have been killed." She comments, looking upon him with an expression of surprise.

"I thought they got you and everyone else. How did you get away safely?" Connor asks as he takes a moment to study her new attire.

"Kid, everything all right?" Hal asks as he and Manhunter fly over toward them. He earns the simultaneous stares of both kryptonians, and upon looking at them for a moment, an assumption clicks within his mind.

"Wait, is that... your mom?"

"Everything is fine, and no.. She's not my–"

"Technically, I am. His powers had to come from somewhere. But that's a discussion for another time. I believe I dropped something when I bumped into him, and it's very crucial that we find it before they get here."

"Huh? What exactly is it?" Hal asks.

"A glowing cube. I'm not sure why she wants it, but it cannot be for the betterment of mankind." Superwoman answers.