Clark and Lois sit together in the witness waiting area of the police station. The police station is filled with officers and detectives moving about every which way.

"So what did they ask you?" Lois asks.

"Mostly about the fire. Whether I started it, what I was doing there. What about you?" responds Clark.

"They didn't really ask much. Especially after I told them I was a reporter." explains Lois.

"They must have wanted to know something. What did you tell them? That you wouldn't
talk because you were protecting a source?" asks Clark.

"Actually, the opposite. That I was there because someone took a shot at me and that my source died in the fire. Gave them a pretty good place to start with a motive for the fire, and the bullets in John's chest." offers Lois.

"Good. John asked me to promise that I would make the people who did this pay. That will help."

"You're not going to go all vigilante on me and try and take out the guys who ordered the hit are you?" wonders Lois.

"Honestly? I thought about it. But no, I'm no vigilante. I'm just a guy who doesn't like to see people get hurt for doing the right thing. The police will deal with this in their own way. Hopefully by putting these people behind bars." Clark says introspectively.

"You really are a giant boy scout aren't you?"

All of the radios and television sets in the police station suddenly squeal at a sudden change in frequency. It makes all the people in the station cover their ears and take notice. When the squealing stops, the computer form of Brainiac appears on every television and computer screen, and his voice can be heard over every radio and television in the place.

"People of Earth. I have taken over control of every electronic device on the planet so that I might deliver this message to you."

People crowd around their televisions, computers, and radios to hear the computer form of Brainiac speak.

"I am the Brain Interactive Construct. A being from a planet far more advanced then your own several thousand light years away from your own dismal corner of the universe. I have come in search of another being from another world which does not belong on your own. A being known as a Kryptonian."

* * *

Lex stands in front of his computer screen watching the computer form of Brainiac speak to the entire planet.

"In my attempts to search out this being, I have been unable to locate him. So I am sending out this message across your entire planet in every language your planet possesses in the hopes that the Kryptonian will hear me and come to me. They have something I want."

Lex looks down at a recent drawing of the Superman "S" symbol on his desk before looking back at the screen.

* * *

Lois and Clark walk over to a policeman's computer to view the image of the computer form of Brainiac speaking.

"If the Kryptonian comes to me and surrenders willingly, then your planet will be spared the certain destruction that I could rain down upon it and all its people. If not then I shall be forced to invade and use your entire planet as cattle to the slaughter in my search to be certain the Kryptonian is destroyed. You have twelve of these Earth hours Kryptonian, or a major city of this planet will be destroyed. Beginning with the one you landed in. End transmission."

Clark and Lois look at each other as the transmission ends. Suddenly, Clark hears another screeching noise that no one else hears.

"Clark? Clark what's wrong?" asks Lois with concern.

Clark starts moving away from Lois and everyone else.

"I have to go."

Clark walks out the door as everyone in the police station except for Lois panics. Clark looks around outside for a moment. Every person in the vicinity is beginning to panic from the computer form of Brainiac's message. Clark uses his super speed to run away in the panic. Clark runs through the door of his home in Smallville. Clark is covering his ears as he searches for the source of the screeching noise. Clark walks out of the house towards the storm cellar.

"Kal-El." the voice of Jor-El speaks.

Clark walks over to the cellar door and opens it, going down into it following the screeching noise he hears. Clark walks down into the storm cellar. A blue-red light shines and it brings Clark closer to the space ship that brought him to Earth.

"My son." says Jor-El's voice.

Clark walks up to the space ship as the light gets brighter.

"It is I, Jor-El. Your father. A distant memory from your past. This beacon has been activated for your protection. The dark force which destroyed your home has come to your new one to threaten you and everything you hold dear. It is for this reason that I have been activated."

The space ship lights up a particular section in front of Clark which looks like a handle. Clark reaches out and takes hold of it.

"It is time to learn of your origins Kal-El."

A huge flash of light envelops the entire storm cellar.

Clark lets go of the handle on his space ship and looks around. He's in a completely different place.

"What is this place?" asks Clark, confused.

"Part of your heritage. A fortress created in the image of our home planet by designs housed within the on-board computer of your ship. The creation of the fortress was activated when a transmission matching the frequency parameters used by the Brain Interactive Construct was detected heading to this planet."

"Why? What did this thing do?" Clark comes back with.

"It destroyed our home Kal-El. A planet called Krypton. A civilization of great knowledge and power which only wanted to bring peace and harmony to its people and the universe. Unfortunately, our people were unable to come to an agreement on the way in which to bring that to the universe. Ironically to the point of civil war. In our quest for the proper solution, the leader of one faction, a man by the name of Zod sent a message to a being known to some as Brainiac. The Brain Interactive Construct's sole purpose is the collection of knowledge to the exclusion of all else. Its thirst for knowledge is so great that it would not allow any knowledge it collected to be shared by other races. Even its own."

"It destroyed its own planet?" is all Clark says.

"Along with Krypton when Zod gave it the co-ordinates for our home planet."

"And now it's come to Earth. To destroy me and the planet I call home." Clark responds Jor-El's voice.

"You are the last son of Krypton Kal-El. Your existence must not come to an end if the legacy of our planet is to survive. You must save this planet from the same fate as our own."

"How? What do I have to do?"

A chamber rises from the cold, snowy floor of the fortress. Inside is a black armor plated uniform with a silver Superman "S" symbol on the chest.

"Your powers on this planet may be great Kal-El, but there is more that you could do. More that you will have to do in order to save this planet. For this reason, the Kryptonian warrior's body armor in front of you will amplify the power of the sun which gives you the great powers you hold on this planet. But first you must get to the ship in orbit. That requires more than what you can currently do with your abilities. Come to me my son."

Clark walks up to the chamber. As soon as Clark touches the crystal glass of the chamber, a white light envelopes the entire fortress. Before Clark's eyes, a series of images flash before him, downloading the information into his head. Information about Krypton, Brainiac, and every theory and applied ability of flight.

"You are prepared my son. I have instilled in you the knowledge that you will need to face the Brain Interactive Construct and defeat him. It is now up to you to use the knowledge of Krypton to save this planet and all of its inhabitants."

Then the white light disappears. Clark/Superman emerges from the chamber in full black body armor, a cape flowing behind him. Superman looks up into the sky above the Fortress of Solitude. Superman launches himself into the sky, flying into the atmosphere. Superman flies up to Brainiac's space ship which is orbiting planet Earth. The mouth of Brainiac's space ship opens up like a docking port and Superman flies right into the centre of it. Superman finds the Main Control Room of Brainiac's ship. Superman lands in the Main Control Room. Vril Dox is sitting on a large throne-style seat against a wall. On Vril Dox's head is a crown-type interface with cables attached leading to a large panel that looks like a giant brain behind him.

"The Kryptonian I presume?"

The crown-type interface lifts itself off Brainiac/Vril Dox's head and he stands up.

"I somehow thought you'd be taller."

Superman walks up to Vril Dox and looks him in the eye.

"Well I'm sorry to disappoint." pushes back Superman.

"So you've come to surrender yourself to me? Good, that will cut down on my use of resources and time. I appreciate it very much."

"I'm not here to surrender to you Brainiac. I would never surrender to anyone who would destroy an entire planet just to satisfy their insatiable need for knowledge. The need for knowledge should never outweigh the value of life. That's what you are Brainiac. You're what absolute knowledge does. You destroy." explains Superman.

"Look at you. The universe's champion of right and wrong. How quaint. You know, I've been studying up on the history of this planet, not to mention your own. You seem to be the only humanoid on this entire planet who feels a need to draw that apparent line. Perhaps you are better off simply surrendering to me and allowing for your destruction. No one on this dirt ball will ever accept you for who and what you are. They will never believe that your idea of right and wrong is the right one. These humans have spent most of their recorded history killing each other just to give themselves the right to make that very claim. And five thousand years of recorded history later, they're still having the same argument. Your own people couldn't stop killing each other long enough to keep me from destroying everything they were trying to protect. Why even try?"

"Because it's the right thing to do." is what Superman comes back with.

Superman grabs Vril Dox by the collar and picks him up over his head.

"And I won't let you take away the chance these people have at learning from their mistakes. No matter how long it might take or how costly it might be. Whether they're willing to take that chance or not. That chance is what you took from Krypton, and as its last survivor, I can't let you destroy any more planets. It ends here Brainiac."

"Then stop me." pushes back Vril Dox.

Superman is suddenly hit with a laser beam from behind. It makes Superman let go of Vril Dox and drop to one knee.

"You really didn't think I wouldn't be prepared for your arrival did you?"

Vril Dox steps back from Superman as another laser beam hits him from the front and makes Superman stumble backwards. Superman gets his footing and then comes at Vril Dox with super speed. Superman tries to throw a punch but Vril Dox grabs the fist and catches it.

"Or for all the fantastic powers that the yellow sun of this planet would give to you? Your new home will die just as easily as the old one. Starting with your monument to the old one in the northern arctic."

Vril Dox throws a punch back which hits Superman in the face and causes him to stumble back even more. Brainiac's space ship moves into a high orbit over Earth's arctic circle.

"I am the Brain Interactive Construct. Knowledge is my power."

Superman comes at Vril Dox harder and faster. Vril Dox fights back with another punch to the face.

"I have the knowledge of two hundred civilizations at my fingertips. I've seen more societies rise and fall then this pathetic little blue planet will ever hope to comprehend. I have stared into the centre of the universe and seen the secrets that lie within."

Superman manages to get in a punch which Vril Dox barely feels.

"And you think you can overpower me?"

Vril Dox grabs Superman by his shoulders and throws him across the room.

"Pathetic."

Superman slowly gets up to face Vril Dox again.

"Your race was weak, Kryptonian. They had the knowledge and the power to travel the universe and save countless lives. Make the entire universe better, even this planet with all its flaws and primitive ideas. But there were too many ideas. Too many voices trying to tell the rest of their pathetic race how and why they should be saving the universe. So I made it stop."

Superman comes at Vril Dox again, this time hitting him with several punches which are felt more by Vril Dox then previously. Vril Dox fights back with several punches of his own.

"And now they have but one voice. One will, one idea of how to make the universe better. Me."

Superman attacks Vril Dox with even more power behind his punches.

"You may have the knowledge of the universe. You may have great power and the ability to destroy planets with nothing more than a thought. But all that power comes with one flaw. One problem that makes you just as vulnerable as every other being in the universe." says Superman.

Superman pushes Vril Dox back with his fists so far that they get very close to the throne-style chair that Vril Dox was sitting in a few moments ago.

"What's that?"

Superman grabs Vril Dox by the collar and forces him into the chair which collapses and sends both of them into the giant brain behind it, smashing the protective cover over it.

"Pride. You believe so much in your great knowledge that you fail to see that you're convinced greatness means you could never be overcome. That your great knowledge would never be destroyed by a single act of brute force. And because of that you keep everything that makes you vulnerable in one place." offers Superman in response.

The giant brain begins to explode.

"In your brain."

Superman steps back from Vril Dox as the entire space ship begins to fall apart.

"And you let me right in here close enough to get at it."

"Kryptonian. You don't know what you've done." insists Vril Dox.

Superman walks away from where Vril Dox is stuck.

"I've saved the Earth." pushes back Superman.

Vril Dox's space ship begins to explode. Superman turns away from Vril Dox and flies out of Brainiac's Main Control Room by punching a hole right through the wall and outer hull of Brainiac's space ship.

Superman stops flying in the middle of space to watch as Brainiac's space ship explodes in space. Pieces of Brainiac's space ship fall into the Earth's atmosphere, above the arctic circle. Superman flies back into Earth's atmosphere toward the Fortress of Solitude.

* * *

A Young Television Reporter is sitting at her desk in front of television cameras filming her reporting the news.

"Panic gripped the planet for days in the wake of the mysterious transmission sent from an unknown source in orbit around the Earth which seemed to take control of every electronic transmitter on the planet to send the message of that Brain Interactive Construct person, or Brainiac for short, who appeared in place of every television program and radio station broadcast for every channel and frequency across the globe. But the strange explosion in the sky and subsequent reports of a large metal object some would call a space ship crashing somewhere in the vicinity of the arctic circle have allowed government officials to calm the public to the point where life is slowly returning to normal."

Brainiac's ship falls from the sky on screen as the reporter continues.

"Government officials attribute the destruction of the object to the cooperation of governments of the world to build a weapon capable of destroying such a massive object in space. However, government officials also refuse to speculate as to the nature of this object and where it may have come from. They have however apparently contracted Luthorcorp Aerospace Technologies to lead a salvage and excavation mission to the site of the crash. Any local residents of the area are advised to stay clear until proper safety protocols are in place."

The Young Television Reporter shuffles the papers on their desk.

* * *

Clark and Lois are standing in the cemetery at the funeral of John. After the funeral, Clark and Lois are walking away from the funeral together.

"Did you write that article yet?" Clark asks Lois.

"Almost. I know you're going to hate hearing this, but I'm sort of having trouble finding inspiration to write it."

"Why?" questions Clark.

"Well, getting shot at after having a hit put out on you by the mob sort of has that effect on people. I'm kind of ashamed to admit that it's had that effect on me." explains Lois.

"Mannheim won't bother you once you write that article. It'll put them behind bars."

"You think so do you? Then maybe you can explain to me why they came to the one hit they did get right that night's funeral?"

"What?"

Lois points out several men standing on the sidewalk next to the cemetery in long black trench coats watching people leaving the funeral. Clark changes directions in his walk, going straight for the mobsters. Several of the taller mobsters move to protect Bruno Mannheim when they see
Clark coming.

"Ah, Mr. Kent. Hello there. Nice to finally meet you. I see you've come to pay your respects to the deceased just as we have." says Bruno.

"You? You have respect for the man you murdered?" says Clark angrily.

"I've murdered no one Mr. Kent. I'm a law abiding citizen with a great amount of influence in the city of Metropolis. Making such accusations could be hazardous to a person's health. As I understand it, Mr. Smith was gunned down in his own home. It would be unfortunate if something like that were to happen to you. Or perhaps to someone you care about." suggests Bruno.

Bruno points to Lois who has just now caught up to the group.

"But then, I suppose that's a risk you'll have to take if you choose to be a hero. I'm sure John would tell you that himself if he could."

Clark shoves his way past the people protecting Bruno and grabs him by the collar, shoving him up against the door of the limousine behind him. Bruno waves off his protection who move to do something.

"John wasn't trying to be a hero. He just wanted to try and do the right thing."

"Clark." tries Lois with concern.

"He was trying to do the right thing and you took that chance away from him. I won't let you get away with that. Mark my words, you'll pay for that." insists Clark.

Clark raises his fist to Bruno and that's when the several people protecting Bruno try to step in but they have trouble prying Clark off of Bruno.

"Clark. Don't. It's not worth it. I know he deserves it but this isn't the time or the place. And it's not what John would have wanted." says Lois, trying to help him.

Clark lets go of Bruno after a few moments and steps away from the group with Lois behind him.

"You stay away from me and anyone I care about. And you stay away from Lois." threatens Clark.

"And what are you going to do about it if I don't?" questions Bruno.

Clark turns around and walks away from Bruno and his entourage. Lois goes with him.

"Write the article Lois. I'll make sure you're safe."

"How?"

"By doing the right thing."

Clark and Lois leave the cemetery together.

* * *

The Young Television Reporter sits behind her desk staring into the cameras.

"As if the news of recent events weren't strange and terrifying enough, recent unconfirmed reports are coming in of repeated miraculous rescues. Several accident victims are reporting being rescued by a strange man who is more powerful than the force of a locomotive and appears able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Similar reports are coming in from a number of victims of criminal activity, saying that a strange man has saved them from the
assailants by being faster than a speeding bullet. Again, I want to stress that these reports are unconfirmed, but already one Daily Planet news reporter by the name of Lois Lane, known for her recent article about mob corruption in the shipping industry lead to the downfall of Bruno Mannheim, has dubbed this incredible man, Superman. We'll keep you up to date on any further developments in this story. In other news..."

The Young Television Reporter shuffles the papers on her desk.

* * *

Lex is standing in front of a table. He is looking through reports of various wreckage already recovered during the expedition. A researcher comes running up to Lex.

"Mr. Luthor. Mr. Luthor I think we've found something."

"Something useful?" questions Lex angrily.

"We think so sir."

Lex follows the researcher out of the tent towards what has been found.

"It's unlike anything we've ever seen before sir. Definitely not of Earth bound origin."

"I wouldn't expect anything worthwhile to be of Earth bound origin. What did you find?" suggests Lex.

"A heat source of some kind sir. Which is next to impossible in this type of weather. We think it may be radioactive, but the radiation we're detecting from it doesn't match any parameters we've ever seen, and it doesn't appear to be lethal to anyone who touches it. It's unreal." says the researcher.

The researcher walks into one of the research areas of the main tent and Lex follows them in.

"Are you certain it is real?" asks Lex.

"Yes sir. Look."

Lex is illuminated by a green glow as he walks up to a glass case with a large piece of Green Kryptonite inside.

The End