Superman/Batman Doomsday Book One

Shattered

Clark looked toward Lois who was still by Perry's door. "Lois," he had said but her eyes were fixed on the static station and she was in a state of shock. She had not heard him; Clark had only taken one step before Perry offered his hand on her shoulder for some comfort.

"Where is Superman when you need him?" she blurted. "Why isn't he here? Doesn't he care?" she turned and sobbed on Perry's shoulder. "Why?"

Perry was hesitant and finally gave her a consoling hug. Clark bothered by her words, held his breath and chewed on his lips and before she could spot him gaping, he turned and left the room. Clark entered the men's washroom while loosening his tie as if it were strangling him. His hands rested on the sink counter with his head buried down and with his eyes closed. All he could hear with his super hearing were those screams from the people that were dying, from those that were suffering, and the cries on the battleground from his superhero friends. But the words that stung him most were words from Lois, "Where is Superman? Doesn't he care?"

With his head tilted up looking toward the ceiling, tears rolled down his face. Memories from his reoccurring nightmares and past events nearly knock him over. They were dreams he had had when he was a teenager, and they were dark and horrifying. It was of an unstoppable force destroying earth. It was a monster charging toward him, coming after him. It charged ripping up earth's floor as it came. The ground shook and everything in its path was annihilated. And when it was about to grab for him, he'd wake up gasping for air. The nightmares would not stop, and they were getting worse, repeating night after night; they were getting darker and darker of earth's impending doom. And the monster was getting closer and closer and then it spoke, "Kal-El!" in a loud penetrating voice grasping him around his neck, "Son of Jor-El, it is time to meet your fate and depart this life!"

Clark would awake screaming in terror shivering in cold sweats. The horrible beast had seized him in his dreams. Clark tried to forget the monster, he tried to forget those dreams but they would not go away. This unstoppable force was coming to destroy earth and coming for him, the repeating nightmare was driving him mad. Eventually as he had gotten older, he soon forgotten about his dreams as time went by and by. Until three months ago, they'd return once again, the images came back with a vengeance. His nightmares would increase soon after, of his father's death. It would be in Metropolis where Jonathan Kent had suffered a heart attack, while visiting Clark on a surprise visit at his office. Clark was put in a situation where he had to stay as Clark Kent, he couldn't be Superman; he could not leave his father's side.  It was painful for him to do nothing while paramedics took over. And for the first time, he had felt hopeless.

While Jonathan lay dying on route to the hospital, Clark breaks down and tells him of his nightmares. He had never mentioned to anyone of his dreams, nor when he was younger, as he was too frightened to tell it. And even now as a grown man, he was afraid to speak of it, how an unstoppable creature was coming for him. Holding onto his father's hand gently and cupping it with the other, his broad shoulders shook as he began to cry. He sobbed and pleaded for his father to fight, and how he needed him, and then as he continued to speak of his nightmares.

"Clark..." Jonathan's words squeezed out and tears ran down the sides of his head, he gripped Clark's hand tightly trying desperately to talk, Clark leaned in to listen as he spoke but soon his grip fell lose, and Jonathan Kent had passed on.

"Father..." Clark beheld in disbelief. "No... no." Clark shook his head as tears streamed down his face and then he buried his face on Jonathan's chest bawling. "Father!" he cried. "Father!"

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