2014.02.25 - Grounded: The Price

Things happen very fast, by the standards of the real world. High in the sky, there's suddenly a great BANG that echoes in the air, quickly followed by a second; many heads turning up to gaze in the streets. Pointing fingers and shrieking civilians indicate that the cause is an airliner; both engines appear to have gone out, and having just left the airport of Metropolis, the fuel tanks are undoubtedly full. It's not quite in free fall, but it's unable to pull up; obviously in distress, in a slow arc it begins to descend towards the Metropolis skyline, trailing great plumes of black smoke. There are no lack of people in the city capable of great feats, yet only a very few have the capability and power to react to something of this magnitude before outright disaster. Yet it might not be immediately apparent that the wobbling controls of the jumbo jet appear to be angling it towards the Daily Planet building... a coincidence, perhaps? Or merely greater incentive to guarantee who might leap to the rescue?

Within the plane, nearly packed to the brim, is no lack of people shrieking and calling for help. A cursory glance with X-Ray or other super-senses confirm the struggling pilots and blown out engines, if not the immediate cause... yet that is likely far less important than saving the people!!

In the Daily Planet’s bullpen, Clark Kent rests his chin on his fist and stares at the words on his screen. He takes a moment to flick through a handwritten notepad on his desk, sighing as he masquerades the struggle of bringing all his work together – he wrote most of this particular article in the fifteen seconds it took him to get ready this morning. A luxurious pace for the Man of Steel.

The bang outside immediately draws his attention and, when his co-workers all turn to the window to look, he surreptitiously rises from his desk and slips into the stairwell. Cowardly old Clark Kent, always missing when the big news is happening.

He races up the stairs at super speed, a barely-visible blur though nobody else is around to see him. As he emerges from the rooftop access of the Daily Planet building he is already clad in his familiar blue and red costume, pausing a moment to take to the sky and fly faster than a speeding bullet toward the crashing airliner.

In the scant seconds required for the Man of Steel to abscond without drawing attention, the plane has plunged surprisingly low. Yet when a moment is taken to survey the sky, it manages to steady itself, pulling slightly up -- to aim directly towards the Daily Planet building with what seems like intent. Indeed, the only one not screaming in the airplane is the main pilot. His eyes are hard, expression intense, leaning forward with a burning focus as the rest within the cabin are desperately trying to compensate for the engines, unaware of what he's doing...

The plane would be reached hundreds of yards from actually reaching the Daily Planet, but it is still not a trivial matter. Too much force will shatter it like a ball of aluminium foil, or the deceleration will hurt those inside... and, if he grapples the jetliner with the intention of getting it under control, the pilot would fight bitterly to keep it aimed down towards the building. Is it a madman? Suicidal delusions? Or something more ominous? And even then, it hardly explains what damaged the engines in the first place. No sight nor sign of mundane explosives, as if they violently combusted from the inside through some sheer unknown force.

This isn’t Superman’s first crashing plane and as he reaches it he is already flying backwards, matching speed with it so as to not rip through it. He reaches out, fingers piercing the airliner’s metallic hull as he carefully moderates his strength. He pushes up, warring against the pilot to force it upright and away from the Daily Planet building. Inside they’ve already begun to evacuate but there is far from enough time to do that.

Maybe if he can just slow it down?

His eyes flick from the plane to the ground below, wary of those milling around on the street who would be crushed by debris. He pushes harder against the hull of the craft, the metal crumpling beneath his hands until he is gripping the superstructure. He grits his teeth, struggling against the plane’s malicious intent.

Experience here is key. The only wild card is that this is likely the first time that Superman has attempted to rescue a plane that clearly did not want such done. It dents further and further, fingers ripping a furrow, but finally the Man of Steel feels distinct stability. Situated perfectly beneath it, a flight angled upwards and away would begin to rapidly decelerate it, while also lifting it higher and higher. Although the Daily Planet looms ahead... it might require more muscling than Superman intended, but he'd clear the top of the building with only meters to spare, one wing clipping into the giant decorative globe and shattering through it. The debris is minor, mostly falling atop the roof, and thankfully the wing itself is only half-torn off, rather then tumbling free to risk further lives. Bit by bit, the jumbo jet continues to slow, until it rests atop Superman's back like a veritable Atlas. Within can be heard all of the civilians, a few bumped and bruised, but none injured with any seriousness. The main pilot struggles with the controls for a few moments longer before grunting, grasping his head with a wince.

Holding the plane aloft on his shoulders, Superman immediately looks for somewhere to set it down. The problem with a city like Metropolis is that there is very little in the way of wide, open spaces. Especially the kind of wide, open spaces that could accommodate a passenger jet. Even so, trying to carry it somewhere with the fuselage full of people is not something he’s willing to risk. So, he tries to rest it upon the helipad as gently as he can. It is a balancing act, though a burst of frigid air from his powerful lungs creates a thick coat of ice that freezes it in place.

Satisfied, he lets the plane go and flies to the hatch. He reaches out and grabs it, digging his fingers into the steel so he can tear it free and create an opening for the people inside. Thankfully it is only a few short feet to jump down to the helipad.

“Sorry, folks,” he announces, “You’re going to have to walk from here.”

People immediately begin to pour out, tearfully thanking Superman, a hail of praise he likely hears constantly, the positive reinforcement that makes such heroism worthwhile. Yet then there's a sudden pulse; for a moment Superman would feel sudden, intense demand ring in his mind.


 * Kneel. And be silent.*

Although Clark's will easily dismisses it without effort, the passengers are not so graced with fortitude. Like they are stopped in time, the two dozen that settled on the helipad fall down to one knee, head bowed. Within, those who were in a state of panicked joy similarly have stopped cold, and knelt.

Only the main pilot can be heard muttering to himself. "What... what was I doing... oh god..." He fumbles with the seatbelt, shifting to rise and peer out of the windshield at the roof of the Daily Planet. A victim of mental domination, like the rest of those present? But from who?

The power of psionic manipulation is something that all Superman’s Kryptonian might cannot stand up to. But his will is strong and his mind evolved to be more advanced than those around him. He pauses a moment, fighting the compulsion to fall to one knee as commanded by the voice.

The very, very familiar voice.

Hearing the call from inside the plane, he immediately climbs inside and rushes to the cockpit. The way the passengers around him all kneel causes his pulse to quicken. This is more than just a plane crash. He digs his fingers into the cabin door and pulls it free rather than tampering with the lock, looking the panicked pilot over with a furrowed brow.

“You’re safe now. Come on.”

"He told me... he told me to do it... I didn't want to..." the pilot states, grasping the side of his head. Even the door being torn off doesn't get much of a reaction from him. "F,forgive me..."

From behind, one of the kneel figures slowly rises. A mundane looking human in a loose business suit, who had raised no alarm bells or stood out in any way before. Yet with a ripple he shimmers with crimson energy, growing and expanding. Higher, higher, until the grandiose figure stoops within the confines of the plane's first class. Dark, granite skin, crimson eyes, and the suffocating presence of the infernally divine. Dressed in his standard outfit, both arms are casually behind Darkseid's back. Kneeling humans pool around him, not even reaching his knees. They are too close. A strike that would have any prayer of hurting Darkseid would shatter the plane and kill every living human within a dozen meters.

"Look at them. Like cattle... and just as easy to herd." comes a deep, imposing voice. A huge hand descends, gently ensconcing the head of a young girl. "Greetings, Kal-El. It has been too long since we met."

The pilot, the only one who escaped the domination -- no doubt intentionally, scampers backwards with his back pressed against the controls. Shivering, eyes wide, mind utterly broken by the visage of the God of Evil.

Superman's fists clench at his sides, the sort of pressure that turns coal to diamonds over eons. His teeth grit, his eyes narrow as he glares at the all-too-familiar New God. He doesn't move, for all his anger he does not want to risk Darkseid harming the people around him. Instead he puts himself between the God of Evil and the pilot, the only person he's in a position to protect right now.

"Let them go, Darkseid," he says through gritted teeth.

"...Oh? You've the sheer impertinence to make a demand of me?" Darkseid states, marbled lips slowly curling into a wicked grin. A soft gasp leaves the girl who's head he's caught, lifting her up. She's still struck by the stupor of his Omega Effect, and offers no resistance. "They are insects. Not only to me, but to you. No... for you, I believe they are more like pets. A grand terrarium, which you tend for the reward of their pleased yapping and meaningless affection."

He tosses the girl aside, causing her to thump within a padded seat, hair ruffled but otherwise unhurt. Both arms cross behind him once more.

"There is more to power than that clenched fist, Kal-El. I can see it... the fury and resolve within you. Wasted and defeated, by these shields of dust." A slow crack of the head follows. The pilot falls to his knees and grasps Superman's cape, mumbling something non-sensible.

"Would you like to strike me? For these obstacles to be gone, so you can unleash your version of justice upon me? Say so. I can make it happen, even if you will not."

His eyes begin to slowly glow crimson. Great power welling in them, building more and more. A blinding orange that causes those kneeling in front to turn away and cover their eyes, sufficient to stress the retina of even a Kryptonian...!!

Superman’s eyes widen at the sudden, ominous glow that fills the plane. He’s seen it before. It’s the same energy that annihilated his father. There one second and gone the next. Erased. The pain of it wells up inside him and the thought of it happening to anyone else is almost too much to bear.

“No!” shouts Superman, almost desperately, “Don’t! Stop!”

His shoulders sag ever so slightly, his eyes flickering to one side as he asks, “What do you want?”

"...What do I want? You cannot grant me it. But... for a consolation prize, I suppose I can take your life."

Suddenly, his eyes erupt with twin focused beams of energy, each thick as one's forearm. The wave of heat breaks the reverie of his audience, causing them to shriek and curl up away. The air shimmers as the Omega Beams rush towards Superman, intent on striking him dead within the chest. Behind it is one of the few forces in any dimension capable of damaging a Kryptonian -- and were it to strike true, defended or not, the end result is likely to launch the Man of Steel backwards with a crack of the sound barrier rupturing, straight through the armored window of the jumbo jet and far into the distant sky!

Superman moves quickly, turning his back on Darkseid in the same instance that he grabs the cowering pilot and wraps him in a tight embrace - using his body to shield him. He launches himself backwards and to the right, his cape fluttering before him as he smashes through the wall of the cockpit and out onto the rooftop. He throws the pilot to one side, not enough to hurt him but enough to get him out of the way.

But there's no dodging the beam.

He realizes that as it turns on a sharp, right angle to follow him out of the plane. With the pilot out of the way, he lifts the invulnerable Kryptonian fabric of his cape up in front of him and places a protective arm across his chest. It strikes him hard, the force of it launching him from his feet and sending him toppling backwards just inches from a news chopper that has arrived to cover the scene.

He crashes through the windows of a nearby office block, twisting himself in the air with all the concentration he can muster to avoid colliding with those inside. When he finally stops he is kneeling, a trickle of blood trailing a crimson line from the corner of his mouth down his squared jaw. He takes a deep breath, blue eyes narrowing with intense focus, and launches himself back the way he came towards Darkseid.

Truly a valiant effort. The force of it hitting Superman would have been dangerous to the pilot; sacrificing his ability to escape by saving him... successful, but unfortunate. The Omega Beams are capable of damaging even that legendary fabric in so concentrated a form, shifting at a perfect angle to hound him as the Man of Steel leaves the plane. It doesn't explode, but launches him backwards like a missile, dissipating just shy of the connection with the building.

Another beam lances upwards, ripping open the top of the jumbo liner and sending fragments of metal spiraling into the air. Darkseid slowly levitates out, arms remaining behind his back. However, the people within the plane remain alive, even if some will be seeing white spots for quite awhile from the shine of those beams in such close proximity.

"Besting you with pawns... there is no merit in such a pyrrhic victory. Come...! Show me the might of Humanity's greatest hope, for all to see!!"

Finally, Superman has a clear shot at Darkseid without the concern of civilians accidently getting between them. He flies at speed towards the New God, so fast that for a moment the air about him ripples and a colossal boom trails out behind him – the sound barrier shattering before the Last Son of Krypton.

The boiling rage of his lost father coupled with the pain of what may be fractured ribs in a body unused to pain. His fist clenches before him, teeth bared as he swings a fist at the Apokoliptian monstrosity. Yet for all the emotion and pain he still holds some of his strength in reserve, naturally predisposed to restraint.

Darkseid retains his grin as Superman flies forward, barely bringing his forearms up in time. The titanic strike hits it dead center, and sends the New God hurtling downwards. He lands in a crouch on the corner of the Daily Planet, eruption of cracks and fragments of stone and steel knocked up in a great wave of dust that sends a large hunk of stone falling down, although those below have plenty of time to flee it. "...Disappointing." he offers, glancing back up towards the Man of Steel while flexing his numb hand.

“Is this why you came here, Darkseid? To pick a fight?”

Superman hovers down, close but not so much so that he might be caught without time to react. His cape flutters around him, a slight snarl to his voice. Nearby the news chopper hovers, the intrepid cameraman leaning out the open door by a harness to record the two titans.

“I thought there was more to you than that. I didn’t think you were big on street brawls and hiding behind innocent people.”

"Do you see me hiding now?" Darkseid offers, expanding his arms almost invitingly. But he does pause at the following, head tilting to the side. "But you are correct. I suppose you could say this is my version of negotiation. I was not lying, Kal-El. It is your life I want."

Crimson eyes flare, before he fires another Omega Beam, zigging and zagging wildly as it maneuvers to be more difficult to dodge. Unlike the prior one, this shot isn't nearly so apocalyptic; although Darkseid hurtling into the air, massive fist rearing back to unleash a powerful blow is no less dangerous.

"I have a proposition for you." he follows, as if casual conversation in the midst of brutal combat is not out of the ordinary. For Apokolips, that's likely the case.

Superman moves at blurring speed, the blast clipping his shoulder and sending him toppling back through the air. He catches the blow from Darkseid in the jaw, rolling with it enough to weather the sheer brutality behind it. With the New God this close, he clasps both his hands together before him and swings them like a hammer at his foe’s head.

“I won’t give up,” Superman breathes when space is created between them, “Never. If you want to kill me it’ll take everything you’ve got and know there are others who’ll stand up to stop you when I’m gone.”

Reveling in the feel of his fist striking the Man of Steel, his quick recouperation is something of a surprise. Only one arm lifts to intercept the hammerblow, woefully insufficient to stall that much force. Blowing through, both fists collide with Darkseid's head, and he's sent rocketing downwards. He strikes the side of the Daily Planet, rolling head over heels in a freefall before catching himself in a sudden waft of power. "Better." he offers. "But you giving up is exactly the deal I mean to offer. You asked me what I wanted. I shall do the same. What is it you desire? What would you like that I have taken from you...?"

There would be a sudden flash of an image within Superman's head. The smog and fires of Apokolips, hard steel and barely liveable conditions. Feeble and thin, almost skin and bones, is Pa Kent... barely able to handle the weight of his manacles, falling to his knees as the vision fades.

“No,” Superman whispers, horrified disbelief in his features, “No. That’s impossible. He’s ... you killed him!”

Enraged, the Man of Steel flies at Darkseid once again. He moves with blinding speed, reaching to try and grab the monolithic New God and fling him bodily against the cracked stonework of the Daily Planet building.

“YOU KILLED HIM!”

There's a look of legitimate surprise on Darkseid's face as Superman moves. This is him without restraint; he is faster than the New God, managing to grasp him by the front of his armored uniform. As large hands grasp the Man of Steel's forearms, he's then wrenched and slammed into the building with a grunt, concave dent forming in the steel and concrete structure as a great rain of glass shatters and falls down. "Do you forget who I am? I am a God. What I make, I can unmake. And what I unmake... I can make." He suddenly tightens his grip upon Superman's forearms, strength on par with his own. Shifting forward, an armored knee moves to slam into the hero's midsection, before with a roar another blast of Omega energy lashes out from his eyes, aiming to strike the Man of Steel and launch him backwards.

"Behold." Darkseid then offers, taking out his Mother Box. With a hiss of air, a great ball of white energy manifests and condenses. With a crash it rips open a portal to Apokolips; great rings of energy pulsating outwards. Within, Clark would see warbling through the portal the form of Pa Kent. The smell. The sound. Everything in it rings true. His father would look up, and a face that looks like all hope had been wrung free lights up in surprise.

And then it collapses in a crack, vanishing with an echoing boom.

Superman is flung back by the sudden attack, the air knocked from his lungs and a fresh trickle of blood running from his forehead. For a moment he seems as though he will renew his assault, lunging at Darkseid only to stop and stare at the face in the portal.

It is then that all hope seems to drain out of him as well, his shoulders sagging and his eyes momentarily downcast. He hovers, the will to fight sapped out of him in a way that a hundred super-strong blows could not achieve.

“What do you want?”

"Excellent. That is the look I desired, Kal-El. Complete and utter defeat. And achieved without the need to crush you beneath my heel." Superman had been right, of course; descending from Apokolips for a simple brawl is beneath him, in the end. It lacks a certain elegance, although the delicious ring of pain through his head remains nostalgic all the same. The exchange had been brief, but it is the Man of Steel who is bleeding and pained as a result. Sufficient now for his bloodlust. "I demanded your life. And you will give it to me. But it is the life I named. Kal-El. Superman. Your life as this world's strongest hero and greatest hope. You will give me that, and I shall return him." The mother box is concealed once more within his sash. "But you have a choice. You can say no. And your father shall toil in the burning mines of Apokolips. Each time his broken body falls, I shall revive him. He will know no sleep. He will know nothing but pain. And the last image he will have for eternity shall be looking upon your face, helpless to save him..." Arms fold behind his back. "Which shall it be? Do you choose to continue as the Man of Steel? To play babysitter to these dependant insects? Or will you trade it, for one pet that matters to you...?"

Superman lets the words sink in. He says nothing, shoulders still drooping and his eyes locked on the people standing far below as they stare up at him. Finally he looks up, brow still furrowed.

“What’s to stop you from coming back here when I can’t fight you? From doing the same thing again to other people?”

But he hasn’t made his choice just yet and it’s clear in the way he floats there.

"There is always a choice. Even if that choice is death. If you truly think this world so helpless without you, then so be it. You surprise me, Kal-El. Forsaking the love of a family member and leaving them to a fate worse than death for godlike power... it is a decision I made myself, long ago. I approve of it." There is that grim smile, as white energy coalesces outwards before collapsing with a great BOOM, forming another portal; one which Darkseid himself turns to, listlessly floating towards the scorching planet on the other side.

He could let him go.

He could let Darkseid leave and be here to defend him. It’s what Pa would want, after all. If he had a say in this he knows his adoptive father would tell him to choose his powers. The noble Jonathan Kent would not put his only son at risk for his own sake.

But Jon Kent is not here.

“Wait.”

Superman lifts his head, arms hanging limply at his side as he takes a deep breath and speaks.

“I accept.”

For long moments, Darkseid simply floats in place. As if he himself is reconsidering the offer. Before slowly the portal collapses upon itself once more, whisking out in a final loud crack. "Very well. I shall keep my word." Suddenly the God maneuvers quickly, floating downwards with one hand moving out to snatch Superman by the cape; hurtling towards the street level before the Daily Planet, pulling up at the last moment and twisting to toss Superman down. It is harmless though, and slowly Darkseid lands. A number of people have gathered around. Police responders shift to push the crowd away from the pair, a number of news reporters and helicopters rumbling overhead. It must be a peculiar sight to witness; the Apokoliptian king and the Man of Steel still standing, but not in the midst of a battle to the death.

“Do it,” Superman says quickly, as though wanting it done before he second guesses himself.

He bows his head slightly, mouth a grim line and his fists clenched at his sides. One of the bystanders in the crowd calls out to him, asking him what’s wrong. He says nothing. Still and silent.

"Behold, people of Earth. The fate of your greatest hero. Know that this planet exists at my whim... and you shall see your greatest hope expire." Crimson eyes flare intensely, before a sudden blast erupts out. Were it to strike Superman, there would be no actual force behind it; simply an intense sheathing of energy, suffusing him to the very core. Stepping closer, the flare grows brighter land stronger, ground beginning to rumble. Darkseid is completely vulnerable in his focus; although Superman is weakening, a lunge forward and brutal strike might very well deal a grevious blow to the New God. Yet to do such is certain to condemn his father to his fate in Apokolips...

Superman lets out a deep breath as the burst of energy hits him. Slowly he falls down to one knee, struggling with all the rigours and forces of the Earth that are everyday to humans but have never before been felt by him. He remains there for a moment, resting one fist against the ground.

Then he looks up at the New God.

“They’ll stop you if you return, Darkseid. I’m just one man. They’re an army.”

The beam continues to condense, as Darkseid simply smiles. "What makes you think I am not making an army myself...?" And then there's a great eruption of crimson energy, causing all of the onlookers to recoil with arms raised. Every ounce of solar energy within Superman has been stripped away, glowing within a ball in the air. Not only that, but the very ability of his cells to absorb it again has been stripped. Extending his hand, Darkseid grasps the manifested energy, and it forms into an amber, jagged crystal. "It is done. I pray you will have no regrets..." Slowly, Darkside focuses energy within his eyes a second time. Then he fires, directly towards the newly helpless Clark Kent. Has he gone back on his word, and taken the opportunity to strike him down? No. Just prior to hitting, it veers ninety degrees, going straight upwards. A slow, listless arc takes the Omega beam far into the horizon. "Go home, mortal. Enjoy the prize you have paid so much for." Another great roar as a Boom Tube manifests behind Darkseid, looking in curious wonder at the crystal in hand before he steps within it. Light overtakes him, before in a great whirlwind it collapses anew, leaving nothing behind but disrupted debris...

Continued in Grounded: Reunion.