The Legacy of Superman

#1 - Shattered Mantle

Somewhere
Somewhen

My name is *kzzt*. I am sending this message to...well I don't know if *kzzt* to receive this. Humanity is dying. Earth is ending. The Legion are attempting to *kzzt* the forces of *kzzt*, but it's a futile gesture.

My Time *kzzt* is damaged. I can't even try to stop this from happening. I've analyzed the time *kzzt*, all the *kzzt*splinters, and I know exactly what needs to be changed to prevent this nightmare from happening.

It all started with the *kzzt* Superman. His absence had greater consequences than anyone *kzzt*. The others who took up in his stead, all heroes *kzzt*, but they weren't Kal-El of Krypton. The world needed a Superman.

Not that it matters. *kzzt* defense is almost crushed. There are less than *kzzt* and we won't last the night. All my calculations, all my knowledge, and I can't do a damned thing.



Present Day
Metropolis, DE

"We are here to celebrate and gives thanks to the greatest hero in the history of Metropolis, if not the world, Superman!"

The crowd went wild. People from all over the country, all over the world, were crammed shoulder to shoulder on this hot summer day in the newly christened Superman Memorial Park.

The giant statue of Superman, depicting him soaring through the air, stood towering fifty feet tall behind Mayor Sanchez as she spoke. To Lois Lane, the person who knew him best as far as she was aware, it was a gaudy image. He never would have wanted a statue. It wasn't why he did what he did. But he was gone, and he and his legacy belonged to the people now.

"We stand here on the one year anniversary of the day we lost Superman to remind ourselves of what he stood for!" Mayor Sanchez continued. "Truth, justice, and the American way!"

Lois scoffed out loud, but sitting atop a large rock amongst the cheering masses covered in overpriced Superman merchandise, only the photographer at her side heard her. "What's wrong Ms. Lane?"

"He hated that line," Lois grumbled as she scribbled notes in her reporter notepad. "He loved America but considered himself a man of the world."

"But, I mean...he was American, wasn't he?"

"He was Kryptonian, Johnny."

"Jimmy," the redheaded young photographer corrected, not for the first time. He didn't look up from his digital camera as he snapped pictures of the large stage and the VIP speakers. It was a veritable who's who of the political world. Even the President had made time to speak today.

"Whatever." Lois sighed, crossing her arms over her regrettably thick blouse. She hadn't dressed as well as she could have for the ponderous event. The sun was overbearing and she wished she had a hat. Instead she settled for her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail to keep it off her neck and shoulders. That and her large sunglasses also helped to hide her identity amongst the crowd.

Perry White, the Editor in Chief of the Daily Planet, wasn't happy when she told him she was going to cover the event. She had, in fact, been asked to speak by the Mayor herself. The public still saw her as intrinsically linked with Superman. An event like this, emotions high, she could get mobbed if the people around her recognized her. All with the best intentions.

"It has fallen to all of us to pick up where Superman's mission left off. To become 'super' ourselves," Mayor Sanchez smiled to herself at that remark before continuing. "And while each and every one of us has tried to do our best, it is my pleasure to introduce one such person who has taken up the mantle of the Man of Steel a bit literally."

Rockets boomed overhead and the crowd looked up to see a man in bright metal armor soar above them. A flowing red cape billowed out behind him as he circled the stage and came in to land beside the podium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, Steel!"

The crowd cheered, though not very enthusiastically, at the almost eight foot tall hero before them. The sun reflected off his polished metal armor, which covered him from head to toe. The helmet was fashioned to look like a very generic, neutral face, which gave it a creepy quality in Lois' eyes. A blocky version of Superman's S shield adorned his chest, all in gray metal. The only color on the man was the red cape that flowed from his shoulders. Underneath it, in a holster on his back, was a large sledgehammer.

"Thank you, Mayor Sanchez," Steel said into the microphone, his voice deep but digitized, giving it an unnatural tone. "Like everyone in this city, I was saved by Superman. He's saved the whole city and the world multiple times. But one time...one time it was right up close. I was..."

Steel was interrupted by a large explosion several blocks down the street. The crowd instantly erupted into a symphony of screams. Most people didn't even know where the danger was, they just screamed and started scattering in all directions.

Steel immediately took action, launching himself into the air and heading toward the explosion. Mayor Sanchez ran to the microphone and said, "Everyone stay calm! Please stay calm and disperse in an orderly fash..." before being pulled away by her police escort.

Lois and Jimmy stood up and watched as the crowd panicked, many trampling over one another. Jimmy, to his professional credit, quickly got over his horror and started taking pictures.

"This is insane," Lois grumbled as she helped a young woman with a baby up onto the rock and out of immediate danger. "I've seen..."

Lois trailed off when she saw a familiar red haired woman out in the crowd. She was trying to run along with the mob but was being pushed here and there. Finally she fell to the ground.

"Lana!" Lois leapt off the rock and started pushing her way against the flow of the crowd.

"Ms. Lane!" Jimmy shouted after her, his voice cracking slightly. Too afraid to go after her, he reluctantly returned to taking pictures.

It was a slog for Lois. Lana was at least another twenty to thirty feet away. Lois quickly left her heels behind, trudging through the crowd barefoot. She tried not to hurt anyone, but she let loose an occasional elbow or palm strike to those panicked people so blinded they threatened to trample her.

When she finally reached Lana, Lois shoulder checked a middle aged man back to keep him from stepping on her. She reached down and grabbed the dazed woman, hauling her to her feet. She didn't have time to check for injuries, and while it might make things worse to move her, it was better than leaving her to get trampled.

"L-Lois?" Lana groaned. Her eyes stared off, unable to focus. Blood trickled from her nose and from cuts along her face.

"Yeah," Lois huffed, breathing heavy as she struggled to carry the woman. Holding Lana's arm over her shoulder, she managed to get out, "Can you get your feet down? Help me out."

Eventually Lana got her feet under her, and while still leaning on Lois heavily, the pair moved slowly along with the crowd. Lois still had to get aggressive with the mob on occasion, and Lana dozily giggled at some of her rescuer's colorful language, but they were on their way.



As Steel soared toward the explosion, a second one went off across the street from the first. Adjusting his helmet's sensors, he zoomed in on the area and saw two familiar faces.

"You're a new one," the cyborg villain Metallo said after being thrown into the side of a parked car. Once a man named John Corben, his brain had been transplanted into an advanced android body made in part by recovered Kryptonian technology. The artificial skin and hair covering the android body was burnt and charred, revealing the cold metal beneath. "Another flunky taking up after the ol' Man of Yesterday?"

His adversary said nothing, but in Steel's experience the man known only as Apollo rarely spoke. The large, muscular hero was dressed in a white bodysuit with gold covering his shoulders. It went down to form a point in the center of his chest, with an upside down white triangle inside it. A golden circle, no doubt representing a sun, was dead center of his chest within the white triangle.

Answering Metallo's words with deeds, Apollo flew at the villain with blinding speed. His fists, which gave off a faint golden glow, slammed into the cyborg's chest. Metallo's advanced tech was all that saved him from being obliterated, as the car behind him was sent careening into the building behind him.

"Not a talker, eh?" Metallo asked, his metallic face unable to form the smile that could be heard in his voice. He reached up and grabbed a handful of Apollo's short, bleached blond hair and yanked his head back, smashing his other fist into the man's throat. "I get it. Strong silent type. Must be a hit with all the birds."

Metallo followed up his attack with a knee to the stomach and a hard uppercut that sent Apollo spinning. The cyborg started toward Apollo when he heard Steel's rockets, turning just in time to see the massive sledgehammer slam into his face.

"You've reached a new low, Metallo." Steel landed next to Apollo and offered a hand. It was ignored.

"Ah another flunky?" Metallo laughed, rising to his feet. "What was it again? 'Steelman?' Well I was just quietly robbing this 'ere bank, all nice an' low key, when this white knight here decided to turn it into a brawl."

"If we come at him from two sides," Steel started to whisper to Apollo, but before he could finish the hero charged at Metallo again.

Suddenly Apollo lifted Metallo up into the air at super speed. Steel stood on the street, staring, as the two slugged it out in the air above Metropolis.

"Heeeeeeeelp!"

The scream tore Steel's attention away. Down the street at the crumbling Bank of America a young man was pinned under a half fallen wall. Igniting his rockets, Steel swooped over and landed in front of the man.

"Hold on," Steel spoke softly, his digitized voice unable to convey the warmth in his real voice. "Don't struggle."

The man's shirt and tie were soaked in blood. His eyes were wild, like a drowning man searching for anything to grab a hold of. Placing his giant armored hand on the man's shoulder, Steel reached over with his other hand and started to peel back the concrete wall covering the man's lower body. He took it slow, trying not to break it apart into smaller chunks.

As the man's legs came loose, he began kicking wildly, loosening the wall. Steel quickly pulled the man by the shoulder and slid him away as the wall broke apart. Steel shielded the man as best he could, letting the pieces crash harmlessly into his armored back.

Sirens rang out as a fire truck pulled up on the street. Two firefighters rushed over and helped calm the injured man.

"Any more inside, Steel?" the captain asked as he walked up. The burly man stroked his bushy mustache.

In the months Steel had been active in Metropolis he had quickly garnered the respect of the emergency workers in the city. He always helped save those caught in the crossfire of such events, just as the Man of Steel had done for him. When he could he would let the men and women whose job it was take charge, falling in line with their decisions on rescue efforts as they were the experts, which had given them a strong working relationship.

"At least two more heat signatures," Steel replied.

The air began to reverberate around them, the sound of massive impacts booming out like thunder. They looked up to see Apollo and Metallo falling back to Earth, slamming into the roof of a corner store and crumbling the side of the two story building.

"Go!" the captain shouted as he put on a gas mask to protect himself from the dust particles in the air. "We'll get them, go stop this!"

Steel nodded and flew toward the fallen building. Metallo rose up from under the burning rubble, his false skin and clothes now completely gone. Steel fired two shots from his wrist mounted rivet gun, which Metallo shrugged off. As he landed, Steel put all his suit's enhanced strength behind his hammer. Metallo brought both arms up to block the attack. His arms were knocked down, but they did deflect the hammer aside.

Metallo leapt back to avoid the upswing from Steel's hammer, then dashed forward to punch Steel square in the chest. The impact shook Steel's entire body and sent him over twenty feet down the street.

"I'm really getting tired of you wankers," Metallo shouted, ripping a mailbox off the sidewalk and throwing it at Steel before leaping toward the hero. "Jus' let a man thieve in peace!"

"You're not a man anymore, Corben," Steel said, knocking away the mailbox. He got to his feet in time to step to the side and swing his hammer up, hitting Metallo right in the chest and sending him flying.

Steel went to follow the villain when he saw the rubble of the corner store begin to stir. He went over and offered his hand again to Apollo, who took it this time.

"As I was trying to say, Metallo's power source is a piece of Kryptonite located in his chest," Steel said as Apollo brushed himself off. "If we come at him from two sides, one of us can try to pry open his chestplate and rip it out."

Despite Apollo's massive size, he still had to look up slightly to the eight foot tall Steel. He nodded his head. "Let's do it."

Steel had to stifle a shocked sound. Apollo's voice wasn't at all what he expected. Rather than some booming, manly tone, the man had a soft, almost lyrical voice. He didn't have time to reflect on it, as the hero flew off after Metallo, Steel following suit.

"All right you sods," Metallo screamed. "Time to die!"

Apollo flew toward the cyborg, but veered off at the last second, confusing Metallo. It left him open for Steel's attack, whose hammer slammed down hard onto his head, knocking him onto one knee. Steel's follow up attacks knocked the villain back, before he finally regained his composure and caught the swinging hammer.

Before Metallo could capitalize, Apollo flew up behind him and hit him in the side. Metallo flew off but ripped Steel's hammer out of his hands. When Apollo went to press the attack, Metallo smashed the hammer into the man's face, shattering on impact.

"Don't make 'em like they used to, eh?" Metallo laughed.

Apollo knocked back, Steel flew in to engage, firing rivets point blank into Metallo's chest. They bounced off the alien metal with little effect. Metallo reached for him, and the two clenched hands and found themselves in a test of strength.

"Not bad Steelman," Metallo whispered, their faces inches apart. "Your suit's pretty good, but it can't hold a candle to my tech." To punctuate his words, the armor on Steel's left arm began to pop and crack, the mechanisms unable to handle the stress.

"Under that tin can you ain't nothing but a man. You're no Superman. You're not in our league."

The strain was becoming too much. The armor on his right arm was tearing apart as well. Any second every bone in Steel's arms would shatter. He'd be lucky if he would ever be able to use them again. He let out a primal scream in defiance.

Then the pressure was suddenly gone. Steel fell to his knees and watched as Apollo lifted Metallo up from behind in a bear hug. Then the sound of metal tearing echoed around them as Apollo pulled his arms apart, ripping open the cyborg's chest. Metal shards rained down upon them as the cyborg fell to the ground.

Metallo rolled over onto his back, the green glow of the Kryptonite in his chest showering them. Apollo suddenly reared back, as if flinching back from a roaring fire.

"You fuckin' bastards!" Metallo screamed.

Reacting quickly, Steel leapt onto the downed villain and reached for the Kryptonite. The mechanism's in his arms were in shambles, but he was able to slip his hand around the rock before Metallo could react. Pushing up with his legs to aid his strength, Steel snapped the Kryptonite free of it's place and fell back onto the street.

"Nooooo!" Metallo screeched, rising to his feet. He took a step toward Steel, still screaming, his voice started to fade away. Metallo's body slowed until it came to a stop inches from the prone Steel, lifeless save for the brain stuck inside the shell.

Steel looked back at Apollo, who stood a good ten feet away. He looked about as confused as Steel was. "Are you all ri..."

In a flash of gold and white, the man was gone. The street was quiet, save for the sirens and the screams of those left behind. Steel's work was far from over.



"Seventy-two, seventy three, seventy-four, seventy-five..."

Sweat beads rolled down the smooth skin of Lex Luthor's head and fell into the puddle forming underneath his head. His arms had only started to feel the burn of his workout. Pushups had become almost a form of meditation for him. He counted the numbers, he lifted his body up and down, but at this point it was all rote. Muscle memory. His mind was allowed to wander.

Which was the only thing allowed to wander from his maximum security cell at Stryker's Island. It had been almost a year since his arrival. A year since his greatest triumph. The death of Superman.

"The request for a change of venue was denied," a stuffy older gentleman asked from the other side of the bulletproof clear polymer of his cell. "There's nothing else left. Your trial is moving forward."

"Eighty-eight, eighty-nine, ninety..."

"We have to prepare, Mr. Luthor," the lawyer said, trying in vain to get his client's attention. He was the Mathers part of Morgan, McDonald, & Mathers, the most prestigious law firm in Metropolis. Yet considering the rather large fees their firm charged for their time, Lex showed very little interest in his defense.

A loud buzz echoed around them, indicating someone was coming through the checkpoints. It didn't garner Lex's interest either. He knew who it was, right on schedule.

"Mr. Mathers," Lionel Luthor smiled as he approached the cell. The elder Luthor was dressed in the finest suit Mathers had ever seen. Chocolate brown to match the last remnants of color in his flowing hair that reached his shoulders. Where his son Lex was thick and muscular, Lionel was tall and thin. His face was thin and weathered, but given some extra weight by the salt and pepper beard that was trimmed to perfection. "You and I can discuss my son's defense in more detail tonight. Over drinks?"

Mathers frowned. It was a natural look for his wide face. "Mr. Luthor, I don't think..."

"Give me some time to...educate my son," Lionel said, patting Mathers on the shoulder. "I assure you, he'll be more talkative tomorrow."

With a loud sigh, Mathers nodded and gathered his things. Far be it from him to argue with the Acting CEO of Lexcorp. He was paid either way.

"Son," Lionel called out as he sat in the folding chair next to the cell, crossing his legs and resting his hands on his knee.

"One hundred-forty-five, one hundred-forty-six..."

"Lex!" Lionel raised his voice. Not shouting. Lionel never shouted. He simply spoke louder, with a hardness his normally silky voice rarely took. It was a sound Lex had learned all too well growing up.

Huffing in annoyance, Lex pushed himself up and swung his legs underneath himself, sitting cross-legged on the floor. He grabbed a towel from his cot and wiped his face. "Lionel."

The older man bristled at the use of his name, but didn't take the bait. "Your lawyers have exhausted all avenues of avoiding or even delaying your trial. If you still refuse to take a deal then we must prepare your defense."

Lex stared off at the floor beside his father, his hard gray eyes looking past into thought. "There is no defense."

"No defense?" Lionel laughed, sarcastically. "No defense? I know you're many things, son, and I've obviously not raised you as well as I should have. A failing in myself I have come to face. But I know I didn't raise you to roll over and give up!"

"It's not giving up," Lex whispered. "I killed him. I did what I am accused of."

Overcome by impotent frustration, Lionel stood up and reached out to ring the empty air in his hands. "Then why this farce? Why not take the plea deal and save yourself the trouble? Save our company any further embarrassment."

Lex scoffed at that. "Our company." It had taken much of Lex's adult life to push his father out. It was a battle of wits that had finally paid off with the son exceeding the father. He even rebranded the company from Luthorcorp to Lexcorp, further cementing his victory. Then what does the board do the instant Lex was arrested? Beg his father to return.

Rising to his feet, Lex finally looked his father in the eye. "I'll have my day in court."

"To what end?" Lionel, resting his hand against the cell, looked crestfallen. "It saddens me what you've become. I'm just glad your mother never had to see it."

Immediately at the mention of his mother, Lex snapped, punching the polymer wall of his cell full force. His knuckles, strengthened from years of training, survived the impact with little more than some redness.

"Don't come back," Lex spat at his father.

Before Lionel could respond, assuming he would have at all, the outer wall of Lex's cell exploded, sending debris everywhere. Lex fell to his knees and covered his head to avoid injury. When the dust settled, hovering in the air, with the sun setting on the horizon behind him, was...

"Superman?" Lex gasped.

The figure before him was the spitting image of the Man of Steel, though his outfit was vastly different. His full body suit was black with a large blue stripe going all the way up his sides, from the tip of his boots to the undersides of his arms and ending at the tips of his fingers. The S shield on his chest was red with a black background, his red cape connected to it like a large cloak placed over his shoulders. On his face he wore a strange green visor that made it hard to make out the his eyes.

"I have come for you, Luthor," the figure said, his voice cold and empty. "For justice."

-To Be Continued-