Volume 1: Issue 1 | Issue 2 | Issue 3 | Issue 4 | Issue 5 | Issue 6 | Issue 7 | Issue 8 | Issue 9
Volume 2: Issue 1

Superman: The Man of Steel

#6

"Public Relations"

By Tony Thornley

"Mister President," Superman said offering his hand. Jefferson Pierce accepted the hand and smiled.

"You know you can call me Jeff." He motioned around the empty Oval Office. "It's just you and I Cl-" Superman raised his fingers to his lips, and walked around the room. He stopped to the right side of President Pierce bent over and picked up a chess piece- a rook- that was sitting on a windowsill. Clark smiled, and looked at the chess piece.

"Hello Bruce," he said, and crushed the rook.

"You're got to be kidding me," Pierce laughed. "That's just like him."

"Not so much any more," he said with a smile. "So why did you want to speak with me before the press conference?" The President sat down, adjusted his tie and looked back at Clark.

"I just..." He paused. "I just wanted to make sure it was you first. After the ordeal with your death and then the Cyborg again these past few weeks..."

"I understand Jeff," Clark said. He walked around the office. "I would have trouble with it too. It's me though."

"I know Clark," he said standing up. "Let's get this over with."

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

"Rivets?" Power Girl exclaimed dodging super-heated chunks of metal over STARLabs Metropolis. "The best you can do is rivets?" Karen swooped down on her opponents- the mercenaries known as the Demolition Team. Rosie, the team's leader, grimaced and bit down on her cigar.

"We're just doing a job here sister," she said. She fired another slew of rivets at Power Girl. "Let us do it in peace." Karen's eyes narrowed, and she inhaled deeply, then breathed out hard, freezing the rivets and haling their momentum.

"Not a chance," she said. She landed in the middle of the group and blasted Scoopshovel with her heat vision, incinerating his cybernetically enhanced arm. As she spun to face the others, she was slammed to the ground by Hardhat, then Jackhammer jumped on her back, slamming his altered power tool directly between her shoulder blades.

"Double teaming isn't nice," said a voice from above. An emerald backhoe sprung to life and slammed its bucket into Jackhammer, sending him sailing through the air. A giant green pillow appeared beneath him to cushion his fall, then enveloped him. Rosie turned, hissed and fired upon the newcomer.

"Kyle Rayner," Power Girl muttered, "your timing sucks." Karen pushed herself up, and looked at Steamroller. Her heat vision melted the front roller of his vehicle to yellow slag. She flew a few feet into the air and spun around. Hardhat was already running towards her, his head down. Power Girl shook her head. She dived downwards, and slammed into his cybernetic helmet, cracking it clean in two. By the time she was turned her attention back to Green Lantern, the fight was over. The other members of the Demolition Team were wrapped tightly in a large green bow. Kyle smiled at her.

"Looks nice, no?" Kyle said with a smile. Karen narrowed her eyes and flew to Kyle's side. She grabbed the front of his uniform.

"Let's talk." She drug him through the air, higher and higher in altitude. Kyle struggled against her then broke the grip.

"Hey, what's the big id-" He suddenly found himself in Power Girl's embrace, her lips pressed strongly against his. The two kissed passionately for a few moments, then drew back.

"We need to stop meeting like this," Kyle said breathlessly.

"Just shut up."

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

Every eye in Metropolis seemed to turn skyward. Clark was getting used to that again. It'd been a year since he'd flown over Metropolis last, and then he was too concerned about Alexander Luthor to notice the love the city held for him. It sounded a bit cheesy to put that way, but to Clark... it just fit.

He flew over STARLabs, assessing the damage done by the Demolition Team. Kara had done a good job keeping it away from the building itself. As he hovered, he noticed police commissioner Dan Turpin surveying the damage as the SCU took the team into custody. He swooped down and landed behind him.

"Nice of you to show up," Turpin joked. "One of your girls had to take care of this while you stood in front of the photographers in Washington."

"She's my cousin, Dan," Superman said. He walked up behind him and watched as Rosie spat at the officer pushing her into the wagon. She chuckled for a moment, but turned to Clark and instantly her face darkened. He raised an eyebrow and she put her head down shamefully and got into the wagon.

"Amazing that effect you have on people," Turpin said. "Even without you being here for the whole thing, just you showing up..."

"I know," Clark said.

"Well, I'm glad to have you back," he declared. "We need you as a symbol more than anything." Clark chuckled.

"Thanks Commissioner," he said. "Good to know I'm needed around here." Turpin smiled and clapped him on the back.

"Any times Supes," he said. "Why don't you go scare some muggers for us?"

"I think that's Batman's schtick," Clark said. He flew into the air, knowing the SCU had it handled. Karen had done a good job as well.

He flew across the Metropolis skyline, listening for anything requiring his attention, then angled towards the Daily Planet building. He always enjoyed quiet afternoons like this. Even with the press conference that morning (which Clark Kent covered), it wasn't that busy of a day. He just prayed it would stay that way.

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

"Are we ready Luthor?"

"Most certainly General."

"Then it begins."

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

Lois Lane shook her head. She'd been at her computer screen too long. Everything was blurring together. She blinked twice, and rubbed her enlarged belly. The baby was so close now. She knew she'd be coming soon. A pair of pink booties suddenly appeared in front on her face, and she felt a strong, soft hand on her shoulder.

"They're adorable," she cooed, turning to her husband. "Where did you get them?"

"A little shop in DC," he said. "I think they'll match something I saw in San Francisco last week. A little plaid jumper."

"Plaid, Smallville?"

"Plaid," he echoed. "Pink plaid, but it's plaid."

"Now wait right there," she said, faking indignance. "We're not going to raise our daughter in nothing but pink!"

"Admit it Lois," he replied. "You've already bought a dozen other pink outfits that you're hiding in the closet in the extra room. You can't hide stuff like that from me." Lois smirked and leaned against Clark's chest.

"Remind me to get a lead box from John Henry," she said. Clark smiled and ran his hand through her hair.

"You always say that, and never do," he stated.

"I know, I know." He rubbed her shoulder for a moment, massaging away some of her built-up stress.

"I've got to get this story into Perry," he finally said. "You know, the big press conference this morning?"

"How was that?" Lois asked with a grin.

"Better than anything Luthor ever did." She cocked an eyebrow up.

"So, boring as hell?" Clark nodded.

"Boring as hell. I'll be back in a bit." Lois sat up and he patted her shoulder. She smiled, touched his hand and motioned for him to go. He winked at her and headed to Perry's office, pulling his PDA from his pocket. Scanning ahead of himself, he saw that Perry was alone in his office. He rapped on the window set into the door. Perry looked up from the photo proofs and layouts he was studying and waved Clark inside. He opened the door, and walked into the office. He noted the fresh smell that had long ago replaced the editor's cigars. He glanced at the pack of cinnamon chewing gum to his left and smiled.

"The cinnamon's still working for you?"

"It's been three or four years since I quit Clark," he said. "You didn't need to be my number two reporter to figure that one out. Please, take a seat." Clark did so and set the PDA on his desk.

"I've got the story right there," he said. "Nothing but pomp and fanfare. President Pierce seemed glad to have him back.

"I would say you're right," Perry replied, picking up the handheld. "Is it on the data card?" Clark nodded. "Good. How was your flight?"

"Short," Clark said. Perry nodded, removed the data card from the PDA and inserted it into an external drive on his computer.

"Lemme guess," he said, glancing at Clark. "Press underscore conference dot doc?"

"You got it," Clark said with a smile.

"Good good." He double clicked the file and turned back to Clark. "How are you doing?"

"Good," he said. "Surprised at how quickly I re-established my life."

"Our old world is full of some weird crap Clark," he replied. "Being framed by an evil twin probably happens a couple times a year." Clark chuckled, thinking how true that was for himself especially. "How's Martha?"

"Ma's doing well," he stated. "Conner's living with her again, which is a huge help. He got his GED so he could get out of high school early, and is the head manager at the Talon in Smallville. That gives Ma a chance to just sit back. The farm's pretty well shut down without Pa to take care of it, but they're still milking that dozen head of cows that Pa bought just before the Crisis."

"Glad to hear it," Perry said, interlocking his fingers and setting his hands on the desk. "Listen, if you need to take any time-"

"Don't worry about it Perry," he declared. "I make it there when I can, and when I can't, Conner's got it well in hand. Besides, Lois just hit eight months. The baby could come any day."

"Don't say that Kent," he chuckled. "I don't want to lose her."

"No worries Chief," he said. "You won't."

"Well Clark, I already emailed you a couple new assignments," Perry stated. "I better let you go take care of those. Let me know if you need anything at all though." Clark nodded and stood.

"Will do Chief," he said. He turned and walked out of the office and to his desk. Time to get some real work done.

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

Conner Kent walked into the kitchen of the farmhouse, clad in the black and red T-shirt that he'd grown so accustomed to wearing as Superboy. Martha looked up at him and smiled. She slid the keyboard tray back into the desk and glanced at her su-do-ku program on the screen, then at him.

"Patrolling tonight," she declared. "Going to skip LOST then?"

"I've got it set on the TiVo," he said.

"All this tech stuff is great, isn't it?" she asked.

"It sure is," he laughed. "I'll be back in a couple hours. Don't wait up if you want to go to bed."

"Okay, be careful." Conner walked across the kitchen to the back door and gave Martha a winning smile.

"You know it." He opened the door and slipped out. He took a couple deep breaths of the fresh farm air, then flew into the sky. He hovered over the Kent farm for a few minutes, then rocketed away, flying as quickly as he could. He spread his arms and felt the wind rushing between his fingers. It was a miracle really. He dead, and now he was alive. It was really incredible.

He suddenly heard a sonic boom behind him. He turned and frowned. He couldn't see anything, even with the strange new energy powers he'd been manifesting.

"What the hell was th-!" Suddenly he was hit, hard, and slammed into a soybean field below. Stars danced in front of his eyes, as he tried to focus on his attacker. All he made out was dark hair before his opponent punched him in the face and knocked him unconscious.

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

John Henry Irons looked up from his armor and reached for a soldering iron. He glanced over to the female-shaped armor nearby mournfully. It seemed like only yesterday Tasha was right here with him. He turned back to his own armor and ran the solder down an inside seam, then blew on it lightly to cool it. He raised the safety glasses he wore to his forehead and stood. He set the iron down and began to don the armor.

It felt better this time. More natural. Every time he upgraded, the Steel armor felt more and more like a second skin. He adjusted the chest plate as it hissed and sealed around his body. He reached for his helmet but stopped as he heard a crash outside the shop. He grabbed his hammer instead, hoping it was nothing serious. He knew that was a false hope, of course. Nothing would cause a crash within the Steelworks that wasn't serious.

As he left the shop, he saw a super-fast blur come at him. He attempted to swing his sledgehammer, but the blur caught it and punched him in the chest. He flew backwards and hit the cement outer wall. He saw his attacker only a moment before he blacked out. Unknown to him, it was an identical sight to that Conner Kent saw just minutes ago.

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

Clark traced his finger around Lois's bare belly button. She giggled a little.

"That tickles," she said.

"We've become such saps," Clark laughed. "We used to be at our throats half the time, and now look at us."

"We've just progressed then." Clark opened his mouth to respond when the sound of a massive explosion split the air in two. Clark jumped to his feet and ran to the window.

"What is it?" Lois asked.

"The Planet," he said. "It's the globe..."

"Go," she said, sitting up a bit. "Save the world." Clark smiled and ran to the window, changed into his costume within seconds.

"Love you," he said, glancing back at her. Lois smiled.

"I love you too," she said. "Now go!"

Clark took to the air and rocketed towards the Daily Planet. He took in a deep breath and exhaled as he neared the globe, extinguishing the flames. He neared the collapsed structure and looked inside. He gasped.

Superboy and Steel lay inside unconscious. Both were beaten bloody, and Clark feared they would need medical attention quickly. He started to descend to where they lay when he heard a cape flapping in the breeze. He turned to find three floating forms above him. One wore a suit of armor he recognised all too well.

"We knew you would come Kal-El," he said. Clark gritted his teeth, and his eyes glowed red.

"Zod!"

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

In Superman: The Man of Steel #7: Superman versus Zod and an unexpected ally joins the fight!