Eddie Brock's "Superman"

[Eddie Brock]

BTW, Do you already know how long this eventually is going to be? I'm asking 'cause, if this were a movie, we would already be in act two.

I picture this as a Three Act structure.

Act One: Exposition.
Act Two: The Rise of Superman. (This is what we're in now.)
Act Three: TO BE REVEALED.

I'd say that we're close to being halfway done - if not a little more than that.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Part Fifteen: Discovery

The black sedan slowly rolled to a halt. The vanity license plates - emphasis on vanity - read, "LEX 1." The driver, dressed in black attire with sunglasses, exited the vehicle and moved to the back. He held the door open as his employer stepped out. Adorned in a purple suit with a black tie, Lex Luthor certainly stood out amongst the crowd of LexCorp personnel. Luthor adjusted his cufflinks as Dr. Albert Michaels approached him.

"Mr. Luthor," Michaels greeted hurriedly, "I'm glad you're here. You're going to want to see this." Without another word, Michaels started to briskly walk off in the direction of the townhouse. The front door was wide open, and swarms of personnel moved freely about the property.

Matching Michaels' stride, Luthor ordered simply, "Bring me up to speed." Luthor had heard a basic rundown of the situation, but the details were vague. All he knew for sure was that there had been a massive discovery, and his presence was requested immediately. Nothing incredibly unusual.

Handing his employer a manila folder, Michaels explained, "This is - or was, rather - the home of Dr. Emil 'Stephen' Hamilton. He graduated in the top of his class at Metropolis University. His 'workstation' is in the garage." As he spoke, Michaels and Luthor entered the house and found themselves in a typical foyer.

"Slow down," Luthor commanded calmly. He checked his tie as he asked, "Who's this Dr. Hamilton?" Luthor knew all the important names in Metropolis and the surrounding areas. Thus, an unfamiliar one set off red flags.

"He's a nobody, sir," Michaels responded frankly. Searching for the right way to explain it, Michaels continued, "After college, he made nothing of himself. He's a cook, a real 'mad scientist.' You know the type. He rarely ventured out of his house, opting to devote long hours to his work."

Nodding, Luthor inquired, "And what's his work?"

"That's just it. He's no scientist," Michaels replied, "He's a UFO chaser - one of those conspiracy types. Tried inventing a time machine, mind control, things of that sort. He has a disassembled toaster in the garage labeled, 'LASER GUN.'" The tone in Michaels' voice made it clear that he feels superior to Hamilton.

"So why the Hell am I out here?" Luthor asked irritably. There were more important matters in the city that required Luthor's attention. This had better be good.

Loosening his collar, Michaels paused and then began, "Well, he was working on another one of his projects. A teleporter, I believe. Needless to say, he didn't succeed."

A failed teleporter? This is why Luthor had to be dragged out to the loathsome suburbs?

"But...in the process, he tapped into something...else," Michaels finished. They turned the corner and found themselves facing the garage door. There were even more people gathered in this section of the house.

Intrigued once again, Luthor arched an eyebrow and asked, "What else?"

"We...don't know, sir," Michaels answered honestly. He loosened his collar again. "We've been pouring over this thing for almost twelve hours, and - at best - we can give you an educated guess." He looked at his employer in anticipation of response. Receiving none, Michaels took that as a sign to blurt it out. "It may be an inter-dimensional portal."

"A what?" Luthor replied disbelievingly.

"An inter--"

Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Luthor interrupted, "I know what you said. I just want you to elaborate." Michaels always was a simpleton.

"There's nothing more to elaborate, I'm afraid," Michaels shrugged. "This is what a group of the best educated scientists in the field have come up with in half a day. Which means that whatever this thing is, it's going to take time to figure out." Michaels inwardly wished he had something more insightful to say.

Luthor looked up, and he saw it. In the center of the cramped garage stood a metallic archway. Inside the archway, strange colors and patterns moved around like a twisted kaleidoscope. Luthor paced around the archway, realizing that it was two-dimensional. One could stand on either side and see the spinning, alien design. "How did we find out about this thing?" Luthor asked, not taking his eyes off the portal.

"When Dr. Hamilton turned it on, power to the entire town was momentarily cut out," Michaels answered, watching his employer's expression. It was the same expression that everyone had upon seeing the portal: intrigue and confusion. "LexCorp's outlying sector in the area decided to investigate, and we discovered this. Upon realizing what we were dealing with, we bought out Dr. Hamilton for his home and everything in it."

Luthor didn't even bother to ask what happened to Dr. Hamilton. He assumed that the man had been paid handsomely for the deed to his land. "We need to move it," he announced. "Nothing productive can come of this environment."

"Right away, sir," Michaels agreed obediently. "We'll just have our men take it down--"

"No," Luthor interjected sternly. "Move it without turning it off. It was a freak accident that this thing turned on in the first place. I am not risking this in the hopes that lightning will strike twice." When Luthor made up his mind about something, there was no fighting it.

Bewildered, Michaels pleaded, "But, Mr. Luthor, to move it like that would require--"

"I don't care what the cost or effort needed is," Luthor interrupted coldly. He was getting tired of an underling second-guessing him. "It will be done, or it'll be your job." And so, Luthor walked away.

"Y-yes, sir. Right away."
​

 

[Colossus24]

Nice job so far. I really want to see what's next.

 

[Eddie Brock]

I know it's probably not smart to get ahead of myself, but I've already given thought to the overall plot of a second installment - a sequel, if you will. In any case, I'll be taking a break from fanfiction once this puppy is done.

Don't think this is going to make me rush through this, however. After all, if I never get around to the next part, I want to make this one worth the time.

 

[Eddie Brock]

I have the next part all planned out in my head, but I've been totally wracked with work recently. I can't find any time to devote to writing this up.

 

[Finlandman]

Your chapters are worth the wait.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Part Sixteen: Encounter​

The night air felt crisp and refreshing. Lois didn't even care that her hair was being tossed around mercilessly. It felt good to be up here, on the roof, away from everything. In many ways, Lois thrived in the breakneck pace typical of the Daily Planet newsroom. However, she would never show this other side of herself to her coworkers. She assumed that they would perceive it as a kind of "weakness" that every now and then she needed a break from it all. She would excuse herself to get a smoke, and she would inevitably find her way on the roof. It was her "place." Hardly anyone else ever came up here, so she knew she could get some much needed privacy.

On this occasion, however, Lois Lane was not alone. She didn't realize it at first. She opened the roof access door slowly, assuring that she wasn't going to have any interruptions. Once that was covered, she strode gracefully to the edge of the roof. Heights were never a problem for Lois. She peered out over Metropolis, something so artificially beautiful. There was peace in the chaos, calm in the frenzy. It seemed that everyone had something to do - save for Lois. In this moment, all she had to do was rest her mind.

Her nirvana became interrupted when she was unable to find her lighter. Deep down, she knew that smoking was a terrible habit, but she couldn't shake it. It started back in high school. It was just as stupid back then. Sneaking nicotine fixes in the ladies' bathroom, utterly petrified of being discovered. For a while, she almost kicked the habit. However, the stress of working at the Daily Planet got to her, and she returned to smoking. Without her lighter, inner peace would be more difficult to achieve.

"Looking for this?" a strong, confident voice asked from over Lois's shoulder.

Lois wasn't the type of women to be startled easily, but even this sudden interruption made her jump. She nearly blushed but composed herself before doing so. She definitely didn't need anyone to see her embarrassed. She had a reputation, an image to consider. She could never have expected who she saw when she turned. It was Superman. The Superman.

Superman casually tossed Lois's lighter. The action took a second to register in Lois's brain, and she barely moved in time to catch it. After fumbling with the lighter for a second, Lois stashed it back into her purse and stood up straight. She tried to exude poise, but her facial expression read petrification.

"You should really reconsider that...pastime...of yours," Superman advised politely, pointing to the purse where Lois's lighter resided.

Lois swallowed the lump in her throat - with great effort - and managed to croak, "So...you're him."

Superman nodded with a brilliant smile. "Not what you were expecting?" he asked. His tone now contained a hint of anxiousness. Still, he managed to come across as someone very sure of himself. For the outfit he was wearing, he needed to be.

"Not exactly," Lois replied honestly, still dumbstruck. She hadn't moved since putting away her lighter. Her mind urged her to do something, but her body would not comply. So she stood there, fully self-conscious of her awkwardness.

Superman arched an eyebrow. "That a bad thing?" he inquired curiously.

Relaxing slightly, Lois explained with a smirk, "Not exactly." Despite the irrational circumstances, Lois had began to settle in. She was moving again, pacing slowly. She examined her counterpart. Lois had seen many things, but nothing came close to this moment. She had so many questions, but she wasn't sure where to start. "I heard you met a mutual friend of ours," she announced.

Superman furrowed his brow in thought. After a moment, realization lit up his face. "Oh! Right! The, uh, the guy with the glasses...uh..."

"Clark."

"Right!" Superman responded pleasantly. For a moment, he seemed to be reliving his interview with Clark. He smiled to himself before continuing, "Clark. He's a good guy."

Lois nodded. "Yes, he is," she replied candidly. As the words left her lips, even she seemed surprised by them. Lois couldn't help but think that she barely knew Clark, so she was curious as to why she was taking a liking to him already. Lois wasn't what some might call a "warm" personality, and it often took months of trying to get on her good side. But some part of Clark appealed to her. In many ways, he was her foil. Lois took comfort in that.

A few moments of silence passed before Superman announced, "The city's quiet tonight." He looked out over the skyline watchfully, paternally. The concern in his eyes was clear. This was his domain, and he wasn't going to let anything happen to it.

Lois suddenly noticed that Superman hadn't been standing this whole time. She was surprised to see that he had been floating six inches above the roof. She wouldn't have believed that a man could fly if she hadn't seen it for herself. "I guess that's your doing," she replied calmly. Superman was such an imposing figure, yet she felt comfort being around him. "The city's been much different since you've been around."

"I'm just doing my part," Superman answered modestly. His gaze never faltered from the skyline where the sun was giving its last goodbyes. The amber tones suited him well. It brought out the majestic red in his costume.

"There's never been anyone like you before. I don't think there will be anyone like you again," Lois admitted. "I don't know that Metropolis - that the world - is worthy of your care." Lois looked Superman in his eyes. The steely blue almost took her breath away. It usually took a lot more than looks to win Lois over, but Superman was beyond her wildest imaginations.

Superman smiled softly. "This is what I have to do," he explained. He sighed - not a sigh of disappointment nor of relief nor of contentment. He just sighed. And it made him all the more human to Lois. "If I didn't share my gifts, what kind of man would I be?"

"A normal one," Lois laughed. Her remark was riddled with the pain of someone who had been hurt by the male species in the past. It was a burden that Lois carried silently. She prayed and prayed for someone to open up to. She didn't know if Superman was that someone, but he certainly seemed to be helpful in everything else.

"You deserve better than what you've gotten in life, Ms. Lane," Superman nodded. Dispelling the tension, he focused again on the city. "This whole world deserves better than what it's gotten. There are good people out there. People with strong values and beliefs. People who do honest work and expect no reward. And we've raised a society that uses these people as rungs on a ladder." Superman furrowed his brow again in frustration. "This kind of behavior cannot be allowed to go on. They may not have my strength or my speed, but these are the people who will change the world. Not me."

Lois shook her head. "I disagree."

"I expect nothing less of you, Ms. Lane," Superman smiled.

"Seriously. You may be the modest, soft-spoken kind of guy, but there's no denying what you've done - what you continue to do," Lois argued passionately. "You will change the world. I know it. I know it."

Superman's smile beamed. "I'm glad you have faith in me, Ms. Lane. I'll try not to disappoint." Slowly, he rose up to the sky, leaving Lois alone on the roof again. As he was almost out of earshot, he called out, "Tell Clark I said, 'Hello.'"

And just like that, he was gone. Off to make the world a better place, Lois imagined. One Superman-sized step at a time.

 

[Eddie Brock]

Part Seventeen: Developments

ROBOTICIST KILLED IN EXPLOSION
FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED IN DEATH OF JOHN CORBEN

"The official police report credits the mysterious death of obscure roboticist John Corben to a gas leak. However, many people - including some within the Metropolis Police Department - strongly believe there is more to the story. Although no formal charges were brought against him, Corben was suspected to be the mastermind behind the recent attack on the city."
​

Lois leaned back in her chair and stared intently at her computer screen. The cursor blinked mockingly, teasing her with words and phrases that were yet to be typed. Lois had stayed late at the Planet to work on this article, as she so often did. She enjoyed the solitude, but there was another motivation behind it. Lois didn't want anyone to see her work. The truth was that Lois never felt satisfied by her writing. She would often slam down on the backspace button, pulling at her hair in frustration. Everything always needed to be perfect. After all, she had something to prove - except that she really didn't.

Thus, she had mixed feelings when her fiance, Lex, decided to make an unannounced visit. She was glad to see him, of course, but she was also trying to stay focused. She needed to finish the article for Perry by the morning. The way she currently felt, she didn't think the article would ever be ready - especially not if she had to hold up a conversation with Lex simultaneously. Multitasking was practically a prerequisite for living in Metropolis, but Lois didn't like to divert her attention away from writing. For this reason, she didn't mind when Lex had to step out to answer a call.

Lex was perplexed and annoyed when he saw that Dr. Michaels was calling him. He heard the furious clacking of the keyboard die out as he got further away from the newsroom. Taking shelter in an old-fashioned phone booth, Lex answered his vibrating phone. "What is it, Michaels?" he asked impolitely.

"You told me to keep you updated on any developments, sir," Michaels answered obediently. He always spoke to Lex with a tone that conveyed, at best, uneasiness - at worst, fear. Normally, Lex enjoyed that sort of thing. In Michaels' case, it was a nuisance.

"Yes?" Lex stated impatiently.

Clearing his throat weakly, Michaels began, "Well, we hooked up the portal with just about every kind of monitoring device possible. And we've been collecting data nonstop from each of them, examining the data on a day-to-day basis." Lex rolled his eyes. He already knew all this. "So far, nothing particularly interesting has been yielded from these tests. Until this afternoon, that is."

Lex tapped his foot as he heard Michaels shuffling papers around.

"I would have notified you sooner, but I didn't want to come to you until all the data had been analyzed and reanalyzed," Michaels explained apologetically. Stammering, he continued, "We, uh, we picked up audio output. Very faint. I had the men run it through a couple of machines, enhancing it as best we could. It's...well...here."

Lex heard a click and then a strange sound. The static - both from the cell phone and the transmission itself - made the sound hard to distinguish, but it was something. After a moment, the sound faded again until all that was left was static. Lex thought for a moment.

"As I said, it's very faint," Michaels stated hesitantly. "And with the number of machines we have running down here, there's a high possibility that we could have just been hearing feedback from one of them. But, assuming that this is something, it almost sounds like--"

"Voices," Lex interrupted.

"It would support our 'interdimensional portal' theory," Michaels agreed. The excitement in his voice was largely subdued, but it was there. Lex could understand it. On some level, even he was feeling a little excitement. "Again," Michaels began, "It could be nothing."

Lex closed his eyes. "Or it could be everything." Lex thought of the possibilities. They were on the brink of one of the greatest scientific breakthroughs in recorded history. His fame had already been solidified, but Lex would forever be remembered for this achievement. Hell, maybe even Michaels could get a little credit. A little.

Interrupting his own grandiose thoughts, Lex announced calmly, "Keep running the tests. Analyze every single piece of data extracted. I don't care how minimal it seems. Break it all down."

"Yes, sir."

Without the simple courtesy of a goodbye, Lex unceremoniously hung up the phone. Going into the phone booth, he had been dreading the call. But the good news had livened his spirits. In fact, now a part of him even looked forward to Michaels' next call. The weight of this experiment was astronomical. It almost made Lex forget about his other experiment.

Lex reentered the newsroom to find Lois leaning with her nose only inches from the computer screen. Her fingers rested helplessly above the keys, unable to find the right letters to make the right words to make the perfect article. In her case, Lois's ineptitude was amusing to Lex. He found it quite adorable.

"Having problems?" Lex asked hypothetically with a sly grin on his face. He pulled up a computer chair and sat behind Lois, peering over her shoulder at the screen. She was doing the piece on Corben's death. The issue was a personal one for Lex. He was forced to fire Corben after the attack on the city. And he had Superman to thank. "So where's this 'Clark' that I've heard so much about?"

Without looking away from the screen, Lois replied, "Apparently, Jimmy invited him to a Monarchs game." The Metropolis Monarchs were a relatively good baseball team. "I must say that I'm glad they're both getting out and about the city. God knows they need it."

Lex nodded. He had met Jimmy before. Quite the irritating kid, if he remembered correctly. Lex figured that Jimmy must have been a damn good photographer if Perry had kept him around this long. Someone like that on the LexCorp staff wouldn't have survived to see a second day. Then again, who was Lex to lecture about how to run a business? Sure, LexCorp was the most influential powerhouse in Metropolis, but he didn't want to brag.

Not to someone as insignificant as the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Planet, anyway.

"I managed to snag reservations at that Blue Moon restaurant that just opened," Lex announced proudly. It hadn't been hard for him to get reservations, of course. He just wanted to fabricate a little to impress Lois. However, much to his surprise, she had no reaction at all. She just typed away as if he hadn't said anything. Slightly perturbed, Lex added jokingly, "I suppose LexCorp can survive one night without me." Again, no response.

Lex grimaced. She always got like this when it came time to write an article, but it still annoyed him each time.

"If I put on a red cape, would that get your attention?" Lex asked angrily.

Lois finally turned around. "What's that supposed to mean?" she responded defensively. She arched an eyebrow and folded her arms. She was interested to hear what Lex had to say about Superman. Lex hadn't talked much about him around her.

"Oh, give me a break, Lois!" Lex cried out in exasperation. He stood up and threw his hands into the air. "I see the way you look at him - the way you all look at him." His tone was venomous. "Your pedantic lives are so meaningless that you have to look to the skies for some self-righteous fraud in order to find any sense of purpose! This 'man' doesn't care about any of you! He gets off on being put on a pedestal! Oh, and I'm sure naming him SUPERMAN didn't boost his oversized ego, either." Lex rolled his eyes.

Lois bit her lip for a moment as she processed Lex's rant. "I see," she stated simply. Her calm tone belied a bitter disagreement with Lex's words. "And that applies to me as well? My life is 'pedantic' and 'meaningless?'"

Lex groaned. Somehow, Lois had yet again found a way to twist Lex's words against him. He didn't know how, but she always seemed capable of turning any rational debate into an argument. Perhaps she was too thin-skinned under all her bravado, but Lois always took things personally. It was almost at point where Lex found it utterly pointless to even converse with her to begin with.

"Y'know, I really need to finish this article," Lois announced. "Thank you for keeping me company, but you know how I am. I'll just think better if I'm by myself." Her reasoning was believable enough, but her tone said it all. Lois was kicking Lex out because he hurt her feelings. He spoke ill of this "Superman" that everyone seemed so willing to fawn over. It only strengthened Lex's resolve.

He was going to tear down Superman - even if he had to get his hands dirty to do it.