So last week I said I was going to start posting fan fiction on Fridays. Welcome to the first post! It follows the story of Clark Luthor after he was sent back into his own world by Clark Kent and Jor-El. Now on with the story…
Five years had passed since Clark Luthor left the world of Clark Kent. He had spent the time in the Fortress of Solitude with his reactivated Jor-El. He had been training with Jor-El’s crystals. Now his training was over and Jor-El thought it was time for Clark to rejoin the world. He stood looking around the Fortress for one last time.
“Is there something wrong?” Jor-El asks.
“I’m not sure if I should do this,” Clark responds.
“You can’t stay here forever,” Jor-El says.
“Can’t I? Wasn’t this place made just for me?”
“It’s on this planet to help you on your journey to your destiny. It is not here so you can hide from the world.”
“Not even if the world wants to kill me?”
“I was reactivated because you needed a chance to start over. A chance to be better than you were before.”
“Do you think I can be better?”
“You are the last son of Krypton. There is hardly anything you can’t do. But you won’t be better if you don’t try.”
Clark knew Jor-El was right. He couldn’t stay secluded in the Fortress forever, hiding from his problems. He needed to face them head on or remain the son of Lionel Luthor instead of the hero he could be.
* * *
A young woman walks briskly down the street of Metropolis. She is too busy texting on her phone to pay much attention to what is around her. She looks up sees that she has wondered down a deserted side street. She turns around to retrace her steps but a menacing man blocks her path. She turns back around and find there is a second man blocking that way also.
She tries to run into the street, but is caught by the two men. One grabs her purse while the other roughs her up.
“Please! Just take my purse and leave!”
“Don’t tell me what to do!”
The man pushes her down on the ground and kicks her in the stomach. There is a big gust of wind and the two men are knocked down. Another and they are tied up and the woman’s purse returned to her. She stands up and looks around scared and shaking. She quickly runs away.
Clark stands in the shadows and talks into his cellphone.
“There has been a mugging on Clinton St. The victim has run off, but the thieves have been detained.”
* * *
Lois Queen walks into The Daily Planet and greets a few of her fellow reporters. She walks to her desk and boots up her computer. Jimmy Olsen sees her and runs over.
“Hi Mrs. Queen! Have you heard the news?” Jimmy says excitedly.
“I don’t hear the news, Jimmy, I write it,” Lois responds without looking up.
“They think Ultraman is back!” He went on.
Lois stops what she is doing and looks up at Jimmy’s excited face.
“He’s been gone for five years. He can’t be back,” she says.
“The mysterious saves has started back up again.”
“Has anyone died yet?”
“No, this time instead of killing the bad guys, he ties them up. I wonder why he’s changed.”
Lois turns back to her computer and mutters under her breath.
“Because that’s not Clark Luthor.”
“What did you say?”
“I asked if the dragon lady was in yet,” she said out loud.
“My name is Ms. Luthor, you should try to get used to it.”
Lois turns around to see Tess Luthor standing right behind her.
“I like dragon lady better. It’s nicer than Luthor.”
“You may not like us Luthors, but we still own The Daily Planet, and I am still your boss.”
“What do you want? Or are you just here to tell me your name?”
“I have a story for you.”
“I pick my own stories, Luthor.”
“Fine, pick your own stories. But you’re going to write this one as well. Galaxy Communications has a new CEO. Morgan Edge is out, Malcolm Malone is in.”
“Since when?”
“Since today. Maybe you should pay attention to what’s important and stop worrying about boogeymen in the shadows.”
Tess looks pointedly at Jimmy before turning to walk away. Lois turns back to her computer. Jimmy continues to hover.
“Are you going to do the story?” he asks.
“Of course I’m going to do the story. Just because it came from the dragon lady doesn’t mean I’m not interested in why a major broadcasting company has changed CEOs over night.”
* * *
In an abandoned warehouse a scruffy thug paces back and forth frantically. From time to time he glances at his watch then looks toward the entrance. As he continues to pace a figure appears in the shadows. The thug senses his presence and looks up.
“You were supposed to be here 25 minutes ago!”
“I was…delayed. Am I keeping you from something?”
“Um, no. I just thought you flaked.”
“Well I’m here. Do you have it?”
“Yes.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Someone is taking the criminals mid crime like Ultraman used to.”
“Do you think Ultraman is back?”
“Nobody has died…yet.”
“Then there’s nothing for you to worry about.”
The thug pulls a package out of his pocket and throws it over to the man.
“Thank you.”
The man pulls out a gun and shoots the thug.
* * *
Clark stands on the roof of a skyscraper and looks down on Metropolis. From here he can see the whole city. Although he was in plain sight, he was still hiding. He wasn’t just afraid of the what people would do if they knew he was still alive. He was also afraid of himself. He did not know if the new and improved Clark was permanent.
He spent five years interacting with a computer. That’s not exactly the best practice for social skills. He wasn’t so sure that he would be able to abstain from killing again.
Clark hears someone shouting for help. He flies down to where an homeless man lays out in an alley on his side. He rushes to the man to see what is wrong. But as he gets closer he immediately feels sick and falls to his knees. The homeless man straightens out and stands up. He holds up a piece of meteor rock.
“I guess that answers one question,” the homeless man says.
Clark tries to stand up when three more men come into the alley. All holding large meteor rocks. Clark collapses on to the ground.
“I haven’t done anything to you,” Clark says.
“You’ve done enough.”
One of the men goes to draw his gun but stops when he hears the cocking of a shotgun.
“I think you need to step away.”
Clark looks up and sees Jonathan Kent holding a shotgun aimed at the man with the gun. He doesn’t know why Jonathan Kent would ever try to save him.
“Why would you try to help him? He’s a murderer!” the homeless shouts.
Jonathan looks Clark in the eyes then back at the man.
“I don’t think he’s the man you think he is.”
The men look back and forth between each other then back at Jonathan. Clark realizes that Jonathan thinks he’s Clark Kent. Kent must have made a helluva impression the last time he was here.
“Is killing him worth losing your own life?”
Jonathan puts his finger on the trigger. Three of the men begin to back off. The homeless man yells at them.
“Cowards!”
“I think they have the right idea. You may want to follow them.”
The homeless man looks at Jonathan then back at Clark.
“He won’t always be around to save you.”
Then he stalks off. Soon Clark recovers his strength and stands up. Jonathan lowers his shotgun when the coast is clear.
“You didn’t have to do that.”
“Yes, I did. It’s because of you I got my life back. Martha and I are back together now.”
Clark didn’t know what to say to that. Or if he should tell the man who just saved his life that he was mistaking him for someone else.
“Uh, congratulations? How were you even here to help me?”
“Someone should tell those men not to discuss murder plots in bars. I followed them out here.”
“Why didn’t you believe I was Ultraman?”
“Ultraman never left survivors. It had to be you. I just wanted to believe in you like you believed in me.”
Clark was out of words. It was the most touching thing anyone has ever said to him. And it was meant for someone else.
* * *
Tess sits down at her computer and looks through articles on the internet. All about the mysterious man saving people all around town.
“So which one are you, and when did you get here?”
