Chapter Text
The scientists of an underground lab did their work. They examined their notes and compared research.
“We’ve lost footage of sector three.” The chief of security told them.
This broke the staff out of their work. They all ceased their activities as they braced themselves.
“What was that?” One asked.
“We’ve lost… Sorry, we’ve got… No… All cameras are out. I repeat, all surveillance cameras are offline.” The chief of security told them, panic evident in his voice.
Upon hearing the news, the scientists tensed as they feared the worst possible scenario—the one they had all dreaded since he left the facility twenty-three years ago.
“Jesus, it’s him . It’s him!” One said.
“ He’s going to kill us all. ” Another murmured.
Their fears were seemingly confirmed when they saw that the elevator was coming down. Each ding only made their hearts race faster as the elevator slowly approached their floor.
“Call Vought. Tell them we have a breach.” One of the senior workers, Marty, told a guard.
The guard went to his phone and began to dial a number, only to receive no response.
“The line’s dead.” The guard told them all as the elevator got closer to them.
The scientists began to panic as they huddled against one another while the elevator continued its descent. The elevator was at B4, with just two more to go.
The guard exited his chair and readied his gun as the elevator reached their floor, B6. The elevator stopped, eliciting a “ding” as the door slowly revealed the blue and red-wearing occupant. His red boots stepped out of the elevator as he approached them all.
The staff were all surprised to see him here.
He had only arrived in their world recently alongside his friends, and they brought up new scientific possibilities: Superman, the counterpart to their experiment: Homelander.
“Hello.” Superman greeted them with a simple wave as he approached them all.
The scientists were all surprised to see him. Despite Superman's friendly look, most were too nervous to speak up.
“What… What are you doing here?” Frank asked. “This a heavily confidential facility. You need to leave.”
“I’m sorry. I just wanted to see this place myself.” Superman said, stepping closer to them and inspecting the place. The Kryptonian took a special interest in a teenage photo of Homelander with the staff, the one in which their apprehension was evident.
“There is nothing wrong here.” Another, Marty, told him.
“I’m not doubting that; it's just that Homelander saw my childhood home, and I thought I should see his.” Superman explained.
The scientists all paused once they heard it. Footsteps from further down the lab came closer. An old woman with red-graying hair entered.
“Barbara, don’t.” Frank warned her.
“I don’t care about whatever alliance you and your friends made with Vought. You don’t have the right to barge in here.” Barbara told him as Superman ignored her.
The Kryptonian focused on the containment rooms, specifically the one with the oven. Superman examined it like he was studying.
“Quite the oven you have here. Most usually have a limit of up to 150 degrees Fahrenheit. Sorry if I’m rude, but is it alright to ask you something? What was it used for?” Superman brought up.
“An experiment.” Barbara told him.
“What kind of experiment?” Superman asked, his smile now gone and arms folded.
Barbara remained silent.
“It looks like to me this wasn’t used for baking. There are very few ducts for smoke, so if a person didn’t burn to death, they’d die from smoke inhalation. Unless, of course, that person was virtually indestructible. Would I be right?” Superman told her.
The staff all knew what this was all about.
“He received no burns from the oven whatsoever.” Barbara told him.
He seemed unsatisfied by their response.
“Did it hurt him?” Superman asked.
“What?” Barbara asked.
“Did. It. Hurt. Him?” Superman asked, his voice now more tense.
Barbara tried her best to maintain her composure. Superman surveyed the others' petrified expressions. He let out a disappointed sigh.
“Dr. Findley, I’d like to have a word with you. In private.” Superman told her.
Barbara had no choice but to comply with his demand.
“Follow me.” She told him that Superman had begun to follow her.
Barbara took Superman to a private room.
“What do you want from us?” Barbara asked.
“I only wanted to understand what made him what he is now.” Superman explained.
“My staff and I were simply following orders from Vought and Stan Edgar.” Barbara told him.
Superman rolled his eyes before pinching his temples.
“Don’t give me that excuse. How could you do this to him? He was a child, and you helped turn him into a monster.” Clark told her.
“We needed to give him a weakness.” Barbara told him.
This caught Superman by surprise, and he reeled back from her response.
“A weakness?” Superman questioned.
“He was made to be the ultimate superhero for Vought—a hero with almost no physical weaknesses. Even as a child, he could have easily killed all of us. When he was born, he killed his mother shortly after his birth, so we were tasked with creating a psychological weakness for him.” Barbara told him.
“What exactly is this weakness?” Superman asked.
“Love. We hired the best psychiatrists worldwide to ingrain into him a need to be loved. To prevent him from ever going too far. Something you are taking away from him, by the way.” Barbara told him.
Superman looked disgusted by her explanation.
“So all of this wasn’t from ignorance?” He asked. “It was all by design.”
Barbara was silent, and Superman let out a sigh of immeasurable disappointment.
“We made him human.” She told him.
“No, you made him into an egomaniacal monster. Did it ever occur to you that all of this wasn’t necessary? That all he needed was the right people to raise him, and all of the deaths he caused would probably never happen. You never saw him as a human being, so it's no wonder he doesn't have any semblance of empathy.” Superman told her.
“We can’t all be like you.” Barbara defended herself.
“I've heard that many times. I've never believed it was true, but maybe I've had an easier time.” Superman told her as he walked away.
As he prepared to enter the elevator, Superman turned to face and address the scientists.
“Leave.” He ordered.
“What?” Barbara asked.
“I said leave.” Superman told them.
None of the scientists were willing to leave.
“Don’t make me do this.” Superman warned them.
When they still refused, Superman spoke up.
“Fine.” He told them.
His eyes started to glow red, and they could feel the room getting hot. It was too hot, and they all began to sweat from the sudden and rapid heat. They looked at him, and memories of an angered Homelander rushed back to them. That unpredictable feeling of whether or not they would live made it all the easier for them to comply. One by one, the staff all made their way to the elevator. The last one was Barbara, who did her best to look defiant, but a quick red flash of his eyes broke the facade of bravery. Once the facility was vacant, Superman started to go to work.
The Last Son of Krypton looked around the room in disdain before he unleashed his heat vision. It tore up the room and caused the oven to explode. He was unharmed by the explosion, but a fire started to spread around the facility—until the sprinklers went off. They made quick work of the flames, but it was too late. The lab was utterly wrecked and would likely never be used ever again.
The scientists and the rest of the staff were outside. When Superman came out of the elevator and gave them one last stern look.
“I hope you’re all proud of yourselves.” Superman told them.
1938 Sullivan Place
The following morning, Clark had just finished discussing his findings at the lab with Lois.
“So you now got a better understanding of him.” Lois stated.
“Yes, I do. It made me think if I were in his place.” Superman told her.
Lois placed a hand on his.
“Don’t, Clark. You lucked out, and that’s that. You were raised by people who loved you, not those who feared you. Even then, it doesn’t justify what he’s done since he left that lab. My childhood wasn’t all picture-perfect, and I didn’t become a monster. As did people like Wally. You’ve gone through this so many times.” Lois told him.
“I know, I’ve run into many more broken versions of myself over the years, and yet somehow, even with the power gap between us. He might just be the worst of them all.” Superman told her.
“What do you mean?” Lois asked.
“He’s like everything Luthor ever said about me, but worse. Arrogant, uncaring, but also depraved.” Clark explained.
“All the more why you need to stop him. By the way, I was thinking of canceling my interview with him.” Lois told him.
This caught Clark by surprise. In all the years he had known Lois, from their times as rivals when they met to becoming husband and wife, dropping a story like that seemed highly unordinary for her.
“If it’s because of what he did to Becca…” Clark told her, trying to comfort her.
“It’s not that, trust me. It is just that if anyone deserves an interview with him, it’s Clark Kent.” Lois told him.
Clark smiled at her.
“You know he might take that personally about how the high and mighty Lois Lane-Kent shafted him.” Clark told her.
“Good, I hope the son of a bitch does take it personally. Besides, I’ve been trying to get an interview with his boss. He’s been ducking me ever since he canceled our first interview.” Lois told him.
“For good reason.” Clark told her before kissing her and bringing his forehead to hers. “I love you.” He told her.
“I love you too, Smallville.” Lois replied. “Now go give him hell.” She told him.
“Will do.” Clark replied with a smile and wink.