| Nemesis | Thus Spoke Luthor | Tenths of a Second | We Are Family | Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen | Krypto - The Super Dog |

Superman Family Special

"Nemesis"

By Tony Thornley

 

The past...

Smallville High lunchroom

Clark Kent laughed and sipped chocolate milk from the cardboard carton in front of him. Lana Lang chuckled and leaned her head on Clark's arm.

"Kenny, you don't knock that off Principal Franks will catch you," Pete Ross said, poking Kenny Braverman in the arm with a laugh.

"Although the impression is spot on," Clark affirmed, taking a bite of chicken. Kenny laughed and sat back down. The foursome shook their heads, each laughing still at Kenny's impression of Smallville High's principal. Clark glanced around the lunchroom to see if anyone else had noticed.

"So," Kenny said, "it's Friday, and there's no sports going on tonight. What are we going to do?" Clark looked down at Lana, who shrugged in response.

"Kenny, this is Smallville we're talking about," she said. "If there isn't sports going on, there's nothing."

"We could have a bonfire," Clark suggested. "Roast hot dogs, marshmallows... burn textbooks from that college class that we all finished."

"That the college won't buy back," Pete countered through a mouthful of corn. "That stupid book cost me a hundred bucks."

"You know, people will buy them if you try at the school," Lana said. Kenny shook his head.

"Burning them is a lot funner," he said. "Totally relieves the pent-up stress left over."

"He has a point Lana," Pete said. She looked at Clark for support, but he just shrugged.

"They're right." Lana pushed away from Clark, a perturbed smile on her face, stood and took her tray.

"Okay," she said, wagging her finger at the boys, "but I'm not bringing mine." She turned and walked towards the dishwashers. The trio turned back to each other.

"So, where are we having this thing?" Kenny asked.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

John Corben watched the interior of Smallville's branch of Kansas National Bank. He sat in his old Buick on the street in front of the small building, trying to look inconspicuous. He'd been scouting the bank for three days, figuring out schedules of managers, tellers and so on, and also when the armored trucks visited the bank, which would optimize the amount of cash on-hand. He'd gathered enough information now. It was just a matter of going into action.

Corben took his ski mask from the seat next to him and pulled it over his face. He then turned, grabbed the shotgun he had in the back seat, and checked it to ensure it was loaded. He smiled underneath the mask, opened his door and jogged the ten feet to the door. Once inside, he locked the main door and raised his shotgun into the air. With a resounding boom, he fired a single round straight up. Everyone froze then dropped to the ground.

"Thank you for moving so quickly!" he yelled. "It's obvious what I'm doing, so I'm not going to tell you. If anyone plays hero, I'm going to empty a round into their chest. Understood?" The only sounds he heard were whimpers.

"Good!" Corben exclaimed, smiling again. Only about a dozen people inside, including employees. This was going to be cake.

Jonathan Kent looked up at the masked man from his position on the floor, and began praying that his son was on his way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark rushed out of the school, just as eager to leave as anyone else was. They'd decided at lunchtime to hold their bonfire at the Kent farm, so he needed to call his mother to confirm. Or maybe he could catch Pa at the bank. This was the usual time he was there.

Two police cars sped by the school, lights and sirens blaring. Clark's enhanced hearing caught a snip on their radios about a robbery in progress. Several students rushed to the curb to watch the police cars speed away. Clark ducked away in the crowd, sneaking out of sight.

"This is the fun part," he muttered to himself.

The young man burst into a sprint, reaching speeds that a normal human being could never dream of. Clark was very self conscious of the fact that he wasn't like others, that he needed to show self control, but in situations like this, he let loose. He sped through Smallville, catching up to the police cars, and falling back to keep out of their way.

They stopped in front of Kansas National. Clark took a position from an alley across the street, concealing himself from the police. He looked at the bank and focused.

His "x-ray vision" was still new to him. He could only use it for short periods of time, and it required a lot of concentration. It was like staring past the molecules of the wall and inside. Pretending the wall wasn't there.

"There," he whispered. His father was on the ground, just to the left of the robber. The man was masked, carrying a shotgun, and wasn't paying much attention to anything besides the teller who was filling his bag. Clark scanned the building, looking for a rear entrance. He found one at the center of the building, in the far wall. He broke into a run again, arriving at the back door in seconds. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed the handle and walked in.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Don't even think about putting one of those ink things in there," Corben growled. "I'm going to need this money clean." He turned and looked around. The police were outside. He needed a hostage. He turned to see a man in his late thirties/ early forties lying on the ground. He grinned and pointed at him with his shotgun.

"You, up!" he barked. He motioned upwards with the gun. The man stood cautiously, holding his arms at his side. "What's your name?"

"Kent," he said.

"Well then Kent," Corben said. "Your name was just changed. I'm going to call you Insurance now." A breeze suddenly whipped through the bank, and Corben's shotgun was ripped from his hand.

"What the hell?!" he yelled. He turned and grabbed the money from the teller. He looked around trying to see if any of them had been the one to do it. Just as quickly, the money bag was pulled from his hand.

Corben spun around, trying to see his assailant. The bank customers cautiously began to also, all except Jonathan Kent. He smiled, knowing exactly who it was.

"Come on!" Corben yelled. "Come out, come out!" He stopped himself. He was starting to throw a temper tantrum. That wasn't going to help. Suddenly he felt himself being pulled off his feet and flying through the air. He looked back and saw a blur disappear into the bank's back room just moments before he crashed through the outside window. He hit the ground and rolled a couple feet, then tried to stand. He froze as he realised the entire Smallville police department surrounded him, guns drawn.

"All right," he muttered. "I give up."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Clark watched as Pete and Kenny threw their textbooks into the roaring fire. It was pretty fun, but he was still thinking about the bank earlier. What would drive a man to that sort of desperation? Why would someone do something like that?

 

"Hey space cadet," Lana said, coming up from behind him. Clark smiled and turned to her, putting his arm around her waist. "Thinking deep thoughts?"

"Yep," Clark replied. "Just about how my dad was so lucky today."

"Yeah," she said. "He really was. Now come on. Let's get some marshmallows." He smiled and followed her around the fire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Corben sat with his head in his hands. He was done for. He was facing years in prison now, and he could only imagine what that would be like. He heard footsteps right outside his cell, and looked up.

"John Corben?" the man asked. He'd never seen him before. He was a tall, thin man, with bushy white hair. Corben nodded.

"I have a proposition for you, Mister Corben," the man said. "How do you feel about an experiment procedure, that would enhance everything about you? Strength, speed, stamina..." Corben smiled.

"Where do I sign?"

Other Issues within the Superman Family Special:

| Nemesis | Thus Spoke Luthor | Tenths of a Second | We Are Family | Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen | Krypto - The Super Dog |