Post by johnreiter902 on Jun 23, 2024 1:47:54 GMT
“Echoes of the Past”
By aarnathx
Part 1
The computer’s soft humming filled the cluttered room, soothing Alexander Luthor’s nerves. With the overhead lights turned off, using only the multi-colored lights on the computer for illumination, Alex always found that it gave the room a comfortable glow.
>Like being in the heart of a Christmas tree year-round, < he thought. >At least, if this world HAD a holiday like ‘Christmas,’ and not some twisted version of it instead. < Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, Alex found himself fondly remembering the time he spent on the positive-matter Earth and all the things he learned in his time there. As his mind drifted back to his experiences there, he only absently paid attention to the screens in front of him.
On each monitor, information flooded in to the command center from dozens of small, stealth-capable robotic drones as they canvassed the planet for their creator, gathering information. Everything from climate changes to the latest movements of the Crime Syndicate was sent back to Luthor’s headquarters to be stored and catalogued.
As Alex daydreamed of a more perfect world, he nearly missed the momentary alert blip from one of the monitors.
Snapping back to the present, Alex scrolled the information flow back to the moment of the incident, his eyes quickly scanning over the information. As he finished the summation, his breath caught in his throat.
>For just half a second, my sentries registered someone- or something- out in the wilds of the Colorado Rockies with nearly the power level of Ultraman. < As his fingers flew over the keyboard, dispatching several other robots to the area, Alex’s brow knit in thought. >What on Earth could be THAT powerful? <
Leaning back in his chair, Alex watched the screens closely.
Part 2
Biting back a curse, Alex stood up from his chair. He’d sent nearly ten robotic sentries to the area he’d received the alert from, with nothing more to show for it. From the readings he was getting now, there was absolutely nothing there. Glancing over to the screen on his right displaying a frozen frame of the alert readings, his eyes narrowed in determination.
>There was SOMETHING there, blast it, < he mused.
Staring at the screen for a few seconds longer, Alex nodded to himself.
>Time to check it out for myself. <
ONE HOUR LATER, OVER COLORADO
Glancing at the display screen in his gauntlet, Alex smiled grimly. >Almost there. <
Cresting a mountainous ridge, Alex’s caught sight of the edge of a clearing in the distance, nestled between two mountains.
>There it is. <
Coming to a soft landing at the edge of the large clearing, Alex whistled softly in admiration at the size of the dwelling opposite him.
Spread across nearly the entire width of the open area, the mansion rose over five stories into the air. At the front of the house, four thick pillars supported an ornate awning above the main door. To each side of the door, large bay windows allowed the morning sun to illuminate the house’s interior.
Absently checking his armor’s sensors, Alex’s wondrous expression darkened faintly.
>There’s no discernable electrical readings, < he mused to himself. >No power output, no wiring or generators… nothing at all. <
Deciding to investigate further, Alex had taken no more than a single step onto the carefully manicured lawn when a colossus of a man walked around the side of the house, carrying a felled tree on his shoulder.
Part 3
His eyes never leaving the newcomer’s own, Alex forced himself to slow his breathing as his pulse raced with excitement.
>Oh, sweet Satan! It’s HIM, < Alex thought triumphantly to himself.
Keying his armor’s telescopic mode, Alex focused on the massive man’s face, comparing the captured image against others in his data-banks. As his systems ran through their comparisons, Alex fairly vibrated with anticipation. Finally, finishing their search, his computer superimposed its findings on his helmet’s viewscreen.
Alex felt like his face would split from the size of his smile.
>It IS him! It’s Titan! <
The whole time Alex was doing this, the other man had calmly placed the tree on the ground and was casually strolling across the grass towards him, his hands nonchalantly stuffed into his pockets. The wind gently ruffled the man’s hair; black, with gray peppered through its temples. The man’s flannel shirt strained across the chest with every breath he took as he neared the armored scientist.
As he neared, Alex decided to break the silence. Holding out his hand, Alex smiled cordially. “Alexander Luthor.”
“David Brinkley,” the other man replied, shaking Alex’s hand.
Glancing around, Alex nodded appreciatively at the surroundings. “You know, this is exactly the type of headquarters I figured you’d have: tucked away from prying eyes, shielded from detection, and BIG.” Once more, Alex nodded. “Exactly the type of home the last two remaining members of the Justice Legion of Amerika would have.”
“I’m sorry, I have NO idea who you’re talking about,” the heavily muscled man said, waving away Alex’s comment. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like it if you left now.”
As David began to turn away, Alex took a gamble.
“I think you DO… Titan,” Alex countered, pitching his voice low so only the two of them could hear his voice. Though there was only the two of them anywhere in sight, Alex didn’t feel like taking any chances.
David froze in his tracks. Slowly, like a continent shifting, he turned to face Alex.
“What was that you said?” David’s voice was flat, emotionless.
Part 4
“I know you heard me,” Alex replied, his demeanor turning serious. “With YOUR hearing, you probably heard me coming when I was still miles away.”
Stepping closer to the scientist, David stared evenly at Alex, his gray eyes betraying no emotion. “Mister… Luthor, was it? I think it’s time you left my land. You’ve wasted enough of my time as it is. I want NOTHING to do with the outside world, and I’d appreciate it if the outside world would reciprocate that feeling.”
Turning away from Alex, David began to walk back towards the mansion-sized house.
“You might not have that choice, David,” Alex reasoned. “After all, if I could find you, so can… others.”
David didn’t even hesitate. “Then I pity those… OTHERS, if they do find me. Regardless of that, I want you gone.”
“Now wait just a damn minute,” Alex said, darting forward and grabbing David’s arm.
Stopping once more, David glanced down at the restraining hand. “Y’know, Alex, I’m REALLY glad you just did that.”
Alex never saw the fist that sent him careening backwards across the field. The sound of the blow, though, rang through his helmet deafeningly. Lying on his back, staring blankly up into the blue sky, the scientist groggily wondered if this might not be a mistake. After a few more seconds of wondering why the ringing in his ears wasn’t fading away, Alex finally realized it was the sensors in his armor notifying him of the damage that had been done by the blow. Scanning his eyes over the readouts, Alex suppressed a shudder of horror at the extent of the damage.
>Half of my armor’s operating systems have been damaged, < the hero thought in shock. >Weapons are off-line, and my… <
David dropping down onto the prone man, the impact driving Alex into the ground nearly half a foot, interrupted Alex’s train of thought. Even through his armor, the blow knocked the breath from the scientist. Gazing up, as he fought for air, Alex tried to make sense of what was happening.
Kneeling on Alex’s chest, David scowled. “Do yourself a favor, Alex. Leave me the Heaven alone. If not?” Lifting his hand above Alex’s face, David clenched it tightly into a fist. His knuckles cracking sounded almost like gunfire.
“I… need your… help,” Alex gasped defiantly. “I’m not… leaving… until I get… it.”
David wrapped his hand around Alex’s throat, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Wrong answer.”
A smaller, feminine hand gently grasped Titan’s shoulder from behind.
“Honey, stop.”
Though his hand never wavered from Alex’s throat, Titan hesitated. Casting a look over his shoulder, David shook his head. “I can’t, Diane. This stupid, arrogant moron will bring the entire Syndicate down on us unless I get rid of him NOW.”
Part 5
Her smile never wavering, Diane shook her head faintly. “David, you’ve had numerous opportunities to do that. If you REALLY wanted him dead, he’d already BE dead.”
For a long moment, David continued to stare at his wife. Then, just when Alex was thinking he still might actually die, David lifted his hand from around his neck.
“You know, Honey, you have a MOST annoying habit of being right,” David growled in mock fierceness.
Diane patted him affectionately on the cheek. “I know, Dear. It’s because I AM always right.” Motioning down towards Alex, Diane turned back to the house. “Now, help up our visitor and bring him to the house. I’ll fix us all lunch.”
As she walked away, David reached a ham-sized hand out to Alex, helping him up. But, as the scientist was about to follow her, that same hand found itself against his chestplate, holding him in place.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” David warned. “As soon as I can arrange it, you’re GONE. And don’t EVER come back.”
Alex’s patience finally boiled over. “Why are you so set on me leaving? What is it…?”
“DADDY!”
Before Alex’s disbelieving eyes, twin raven-haired children darted out of the sky, tackling the big man in a jumble of arms, legs and laughter. As he watched, Alex found himself even a little envious of David, and the carefully protected life he’d obviously created for his family.
“Daddy, is he a bad man?” Intense blue eyes peered with unbridled curiosity at Alex. Flipping back her hair from her face, the young girl canted her head slightly to the side.
“Why do you ask that, Jessica?” David inquired.
“’Cause you hit him, silly!” A second pair of intense blue eyes fixed themselves on Alex.
“It was a mistake, Christopher,” David replied, glancing at the scientist. “Daddy reacted like that because he… because he thought this man was someone else.”
“A bad man?” the girl pressed.
David nodded. “Yes, Honey. A bad man.” Casting a glance towards the house, David stood up from the ground. “Now, the two of you go wash up for lunch and help your mother set the table. Go on,” he added, seeing their less than enthusiastic expressions.
Launching themselves into the air and towards the mansion, the twins quickly were lost from sight.
David solemnly turned to Alex. “NOW you see why I want you to leave?”
Part 6
Entering the house close behind David, Alex marveled at the size of the interior. What would have been the rooms of a normal sized house had been scaled up and made positively cavernous by sweeping arches of ceiling. The house’s furnishings, while functional, were different from room to room. While one room might echo the more ornate, with carved dark wood and crystal, another seemed to belong in some future era, with molded plastic seats hovering on cushions of energy. The only constant from room to room, though, were the various electronic devices. Here and there, statues and paintings added color to the surroundings.
Seeing Alex’s expression, David smiled. “When every member of your family can fly, it kind of necessitates the creation of areas large enough to accommodate it, don’t you think?”
Dumfounded, Alex nodded.
“Now, before we go any further, there’s something you have to do for me,” David said, turning to face Luthor.
Snapping out of his admiration of the house, Alex eyed David warily. “And what might that be?”
“Take off your armor.”
Alex gaped at him. “Take off my armor?”
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your normal clothes?” Smiling gently, David pointed down. “Besides, your armor is scuffing the marble floor.”
At Titan’s bidding, Alex entered a small antechamber and began the meticulous process of removing his armor. Once the last piece had been removed, Alex was momentarily overtaken with the sudden feeling of being vulnerable.
>I’ve spent so much time inside that armor of late, it feels… unnatural to be out of it, < Alex thought.
Exiting the room, a small figure brought the scientist to a halt. Despite himself, Alex felt a smile grow on his face. “You’re Jessica, right?”
The tiny girl nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Daddy sent me to bring you to the dining room. He’d like to talk with you.”
Part 7
Entering the dining room, Jessica ushered Alex to a seat at the table.
“Dad will be in with the drinks in a second, Mr. Luthor,” Jessica said sweetly.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than David entered the room, a large tray balanced on one hand, a pile of newspapers in the other. Eying the small girl with a mock, ferocious scowl, David cleared his throat.
“I believe I asked someone to get ready for lunch, did I not?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then why aren’t your hands washed like I asked?”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “’Cause they’re just gonna get dirty again,” she sighed, as if the answer were painfully obvious. “’Sides, I’m invun… invulrn… I’m really tough,” she finished with a beaming smile.
David fought to keep the smile from his face. “But your brother’s washing up, and he’s as tough as you are.”
Jessica shook her head sadly. “That’s ‘cause he’s younger than me, and he doesn’t know any better.”
“You’re only two hours older than your brother,” Diane replied, entering the room from the kitchen, a heavily laden platter in her hands. “And besides, whoever HASN’T washed for lunch doesn’t get any dessert.”
Jessica vanished in a blur of motion.
Part 8
Alex found himself smiling as David’s wife entered the dining room. “I must say, Ma’am, that it is an honor to finally meet you.”
Diane laughed lightly, the sound like the tinkling of tiny bells. Running a hand through her mostly iron-gray hair, she raised her eyebrows. “You know who I am? After all these years?”
Alex nodded vigorously. “I do, Ma’am. When you and your husband were members of the Justice Legion, you went by the codename of ‘Stellar Lass.’ Rumor had it that you were actually a Princess from an alien race, who left her world to seek adventure among the stars in order to avoid an arranged marriage.” Lifting his eyes skyward, Alex frowned in concentration. “After you and Titan were married, you were both required to resign due to the Legion’s by-laws. It was only after Reflectar and Ras Al Ghul were killed in action against the Crime Legion of Amerika that the marriage by-law was rescinded, allowing the two of you to return to active duty. You and Titan remained on active duty with the Justice Legion for several more years, right up until… the war.” Alex finished his narrative, clearing his throat self-consciously.
Placing the tray on the table, Diane lightly applauded. “Very good, Alex. I’m impressed.”
Alex shrugged uncomfortably, his cheeks blushing slightly. “Well… I read a lot of the books they put out about the Justice Legion.”
“Ah,” Diane said, nodding knowingly. “The ILLEGAL books, you mean.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Alex said, glancing away. “Dad never really paid that law any attention. He always said that ‘education should know no boundaries.’”
Unseen by Alex, David and Diane exchanged a look. “Your Father sounds like a pretty intelligent man, Alex.”
“Oh, he was,” Alex agreed. “He was a genius. Just not too good at being a father.”
“Why was that?” David asked. “That is, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“He was never around very much,” Alex answered. “He always had some out of town meeting he had to go to, or had to stay late after work, or any other number of excuses as to why he couldn’t spend very much time with me.”
David nodded knowingly. “I see.”
Part 9
“Well, Alex, I’m sure he must have thought what he was doing was REALLY important,” Diane supplied, taking the various dishes off the tray and placing them on the table. “After all, it must have been. Otherwise, why would he have done it?”
David nodded. “She’s right- if what he was doing WASN’T that important, he would have been right there with you all the time.” He shrugged. “At least, that’s what he always said.”
Alex rubbed his jaw in thought. “You’re probably right, David. But still…” Just then, David’s words finally registered. Lifting his eyes, Alex stared at the muscular man. “Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘that’s what he always said?’”
David shrugged. “I mean exactly that- that’s what he always said.” Canting his head towards Diane, David motioned to her. “Isn’t that right, Honey?”
Diane nodded. “Every time I talked to him, it was actually difficult to get him to NOT talk about his family.”
Alex was stunned.
Seeing his reaction, David briefly shot his wife a look before returning his attention to Alex. “You mean this is all news to you?”
Numbly, Alex nodded.
David sat down across from his guest. “All right, then. Tell me something- did your father ever STOP going to out of town meetings?” At Alex’s nod, David smiled faintly. “And when did this happen?”
Alex shrugged. “That’s easy- it was the day after… the day after the war.” Alex’s eyebrows rose in shock. “Sweet Creator! It never occurred to me!”
Sitting at the table herself, Diane nodded. “Your father was a GREAT asset to the Justice Legion.”
Part 10
Alex shook his head. “No, that can’t be true. He COULDN’T have been part of the Justice Legion.”
“What makes you say that, Alex?” David asked.
“Because… because I would have known,” Alex insisted after a moment’s hesitation.
“Really?” Diane’s voice was still smooth, despite the question. “And how exactly would you have known? To this day, NO ONE outside of the remaining members of the Justice Legion knows that your father was one of us. Believe me,” she stressed. “The Crime Legion of Amerika tried for YEARS to discover the identities of the Justice Legion. Those that they discovered, they killed.”
“Which was one reason many of us retired,” David added. “By that time, quite a few of us had families of our own, and we knew that the Crime Legion threatened THEIR lives as well as ours.”
“Besides, we’d suffered so many losses during the war with the Crime Legion, many of us had simply… lost the drive. The fire had gone out of us,” Diane finished, glancing away self-consciously.
David reached over, placing his hand atop hers, lending her his unspoken support.
“Let me guess,” Alex said, his voice bitter. “YOU two had to talk him into retiring from the Justice Legion?”
David’s head snapped around to face Alex. “What gives you THAT idea?”
The sharp note to David’s voice gave Alex pause. “Well, I assumed-”
“You assumed WRONG,” Diane interrupted. “As a matter of fact, David and I tried to STOP him from leaving the group.”
Part 11
“You… tried to STOP him from leaving?” Alex’s voice was filled with disbelief.
David nodded. “Yeah, we did. But he wouldn’t hear any of it.”
Diane nodded as well. “He figured he’d spent enough time as it was, away from his family.”
Alex snorted. “He sure did.”
David’s hand slapping the tabletop nearly startled Alex from his seat.
“That man did EVERYTHING he could to bring a little light into this world,” the muscular man growled. “I will NOT sit here and hear his memory be tarnished by his son, of all people.”
“Easy, David,” Diane soothed. “What’s past is past. WE know the truth,” she added, shooting Alex an angry glare. “Even if others DON’T.”
Alex sat back in his chair. “My father… a member of the Justice Legion.” Shaking his head, the scientist mulled the thought over in his mind for several minutes. Finally, bringing himself back to the here-and-now, Alex looked over the table at David.
“So, David, what’s YOUR story?”
David’s eyes widened in puzzlement at Alex’s question. “What, you mean you don’t know?”
Alex shook his head.
“As you’ve no doubt surmised, Alex, I’m not from around here,” David said, pouring several glasses of lemonade. “I’m actually from another world… another UNIVERSE, actually.” Setting the glasses around the table, David sipped from one as he organized his thoughts.
“My father was a scientist on my homeworld- the greatest scientist on the planet, according to HIM,” David began, gazing out the window, his mind drifting to the past. “One day he went to the Science Council, proclaiming that the earthquakes the planet had been suffering of late were the signs of the world’s impending destruction.”
A memory tickled the back of Alex’s mind as he listened. “And, did they believe him?”
David shook his head. “No. My father, though, was absolutely convinced he was right. He built a ship large enough to carry our entire family to safety, intending to leave our homeworld before its destruction.” David sipped his drink again. “He programmed the ship to automatically launch at a pre-designated time. The Council caught wind of my father’s intention to send his family into space and, believing him to be insane, notified the Public Health and Safety Committee of the situation. They, in turn, notified the authorities. When they came to my house to arrest my father, I ran and hid in the first place I could think of: the ship he’d built.”
“What happened then?” Alex asked.
“There was a malfunction in the ship’s launching controls,” David explained. “It launched almost immediately after I closed the door.”
Alex’s eyes widened in shock.
Taking another sip of his drink, David’s brow furrowed in thought, clearly uncomfortable with his memories. “I could hear my father pounding on the ship’s door, screaming at me to get out. But I couldn’t. And then, once the ship’s engines had ignited, it was FAR too late.”
Slipping up behind her husband, Diane softly placed her hand on his shoulder, silently lending him her support. Reaching his own hand up and placing it over hers, Titan took a deep breath before continuing.
“Once the ship had left the atmosphere, its faster-than-light engines activated. Unfortunately, my father wasn’t nearly the scientist he thought he was.” Shrugging, David swirled the contents of his glass around, the ice cubes clinking softly against the sides. “The engine’s power ratio was out of balance. When they came on-line, the power fluctuations tore a hole in the space/time continuum, throwing my ship into another dimension.” Raising his glass in a toast, David’s lips quirked up into a sad smile. “This one.”
Part 12
“I was wondering, David,” Alex said. “Would you happen to have the computer logs from your ship handy? If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really like to take a look at them.”
David rubbed his chin in thought. Finally, he shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
Departing the room, he returned seconds later, a laptop computer in his hands. Placing it on the table in front of the scientist, David entered in several commands at blurring speed. When he straightened back up, Alex glanced at the device. Mathematical calculations filled the screen.
“I have the ship’s log on my main computer in my lab,” David explained. “But from this laptop, you can access them easy enough.”
Nodding, his attention already absorbed into analyzing the screen, Alex’s eyes lit with pleasure as he began his work.
“Near as I can tell, your ship entered this dimension through a multi-dimensional space/time nexus,” Alex stated, scrolling through the readings on the screen.
“You mean Hypertime?” David asked.
Alex’s eyes registered his surprise before he nodded. “Yes- Hypertime.” Leaning forward, the scientist stared at his host with undisguised curiosity. “HOW did you know…?”
“Let’s just say that I try to keep as well versed as possible in pretty much everything, and leave it at that, all right?”
Slowly, reluctantly, Alex nodded. “Very well. But, you’re right about it having been Hypertime. Since you didn’t DIRECTLY pierce the dimensional barriers between a positive-matter universe and the anti-matter universe, the ‘balancing’ didn’t take place like it normally does.”
“Excuse me,” Diane interjected, smiling sweetly. “But, for those of us who AREN’T geniuses, would someone care to explain what this ‘balancing’ is?”
“To preserve the balance between dimensions, whenever mass from a positive-matter universe enters the anti-matter universe, an equal amount of matter from the anti-matter universe must be transferred to the positive one. This happens when the dimensional veil separating the positive and anti-matter universes is DIRECTLY breached. For lack of a better word, it’s called ‘balancing.’ However, there are ways around that particular ‘law.’ When I entered this universe, my doppelganger in THIS universe wasn’t forcibly ejected after a certain amount of time and sent to my home universe because I didn’t directly go from the positive universe to THIS one. I had a brief stopover, so to speak, in the limbo of Hypertime.” David explained.
“I see,” Diane said. “I think.”
“Actually, it’s a pity the balancing DIDN’T happen,” Alex mused, his eyes still fixed on the screen.
Diane looked to Alex. “And why’s that?”
Alex glanced up from his work, scratching his chin. “Because David, here, is HIS universe’s version of Kal-El.”
“Kal-El?” Diane’s voice echoed her puzzlement.
Alex nodded. “The man who WE know as Ultraman.”
Part 13
David shook his head. “My name isn’t Kal-El, though.”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe not, but it doesn’t matter. Everything else fits.” Holding up a hand, he began counting off fingers. “The scientist father, the doomed planet, the rocket to safety, coming to this planet in your youth, your powers…” Putting his hand down, Alex shrugged. “From what I’ve been able to discover, across the multi-verse those are all hallmarks of the son of Krypton: Kal-El. Not to mention the fact that you’re a dead-ringer for Ultraman.”
Diane glanced to her husband in surprise, her eyes narrowing in thought. “I can’t believe it never occurred to me. Dye the hair black again, shave off the extra years… he’s right, David.”
Titan sat back in his chair, the shock of the revelation rushing through him.
Suddenly, a small voice made itself known from the doorway. “What’s going on?”
“Why does Daddy look like that?” a second voice joined in.
As the three adults looked over, Alex felt his heart skip.
Standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, Jessica’s smile beamed. Garbed in a red and gold uniform, her waist-length cape likewise edged in gold, the young woman’s pride radiated from her. Next to her, his body draped in dark blue, Christopher nervously fidgeted with the edge of his red cape.
Both children had an inverted lightning bolt on the front of their uniforms; the symbol that had been synonymous with Titan for so many years.
Glancing cautiously over at Titan, Alex was taken aback by the look of abject horror on his face.
“What… are you doing… in those uniforms?” David’s voice escaped as a hoarse whisper.
“We’re going to be like YOU, Daddy,” Christopher said, his smile beaming.
“Yeah,” Jessica added, her own smile matching her brothers. “Mommy helped us with them. She’s been training us on how to use our powers.”
Slowly, Titan shook his head. “Go to your rooms and take them off. Now.”
“But-”
“I said take them off NOW,” David interrupted, his voice dropping lower. “Go up to your rooms, change out of those… THINGS, and come back down here.”
“Wait a minute,” Diane interrupted, stepping forward. Giving her husband a chastising glare, she faced the two youths, a smile lifting her lips. “They look fine on you both. Go into the kitchen and get your lunches, all right?”
As they headed towards the kitchen, Alex caught Christopher’s muttered words to his sister.
“I TOLD you Dad wouldn’t like them.”
Part 14
As Diane opened her mouth to object, David spun around to face her, cutting her off.
“What in the HELL do you think you’re doing?” Jabbing a finger at the door the kids had just departed through, the muscular hero’s eyes blazed with fury. “Making them uniforms, allowing them to get dressed up like that… what were you thinking? Or were you thinking at all?”
Diane’s mouth dropped opened in shock.
“Now, I can see helping them learn how to use their powers,” David continued. “But THAT?” Shaking his head again, David ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe you helped them. I can’t believe you ENCOURAGED them.”
“For your information, I DIDN’T encourage them,” Diane said, her own voice edged with anger. “When those other three heroes came here from the Justice League’s universe, Jessica and Christopher absolutely fell in love with their uniforms. Add to the fact that they had lightning bolts on their chest and, well…” Diane shrugged. “You KNOW how the adolescent mind works.”
“But, still-”
“Let me finish,” Diane said, smoothly interrupting her husband. Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a sigh. “This was bound to happen sooner or later, you know. They spend hours each day, pouring over the old newspaper clippings of us, watching the old films… Jessica practically LIVES down in the archives, David. Their whole lives, all they’ve ever wanted to be was like US when they grew up.”
“Fighting for our lives every day, hoping that THIS wasn’t the day our luck ran out,” David added, his voice turning sad. “Doing everything in our power to make the world a better place for everyone, and being hunted for our troubles. Watching our friends die, one by one.” Waving at the outside world, his voice lowered. “And THAT is the life you want for our children?”
“No,” Diane admitted reluctantly. As David’s face lifted in hope, she placed her hand on his shoulder. “But it IS the life they WANT.”
Part 15
“It’s YOUR choice, David,” Diane said. “You can either support them in this, or you can oppose them. And if you oppose them, you know they’ll just go ahead and do it anyway.”
David’s mouth opened to reply, but he swiftly found that he had no idea what to say. Rubbing a hand across his face, he muttered a few choice curses before heaving a great sigh.
“All right,” David finally said grudgingly. “They can wear the uniforms, but there are some rules they’re going to follow.”
“I’ll let them know,” Diane said. Giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, she trotted into the kitchen.
With a sigh, David shook his head wearily. “I never even had a chance,” he mused. Shaking himself out of his revere, he looked over at Alex. “So, why exactly did you come here looking for me, anyway?”
Slowly, hesitantly, Alex sketched out his intentions to David. After he’d finished, David slowly sat back in his chair.
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Titan asked, his voice level despite his horrific expression. “You want to RELEASE Optimus?”
Alex nodded.
Titan shook his head in sick disbelief. “Alex, are you crazy? You, of ALL people, should know better than to do something as patently STUPID as that! I’m sorry but, as loathe as I am to admit it, I think Ultraman has the right idea in this case. That… THING you and Mordru created is a psychopath, and he needs to STAY locked up in the depths of Ultraman’s arctic Fortress.” Motioning to the outside world, David’s voice lowered slightly. “You DO remember what happened the last time he got out, right?”
Alex absently rubbed his right arm. “All too well.”
Titan leveled an accusing finger at the scientist. “And you got off EASY, with just a broken arm. And WHY, pray tell, did Optimus break your arm?”
Alex sighed. “Because I wouldn’t let him kill Ultraman.”
Titan’s eyebrows rose expectantly. “And these are the actions of an individual in COMPLETE possession of mental stability? NO,” he said, answering his own question. “They’re the actions of a man who cares NOTHING about the potential consequences of his actions.”
“We NEED him, David,” Alex said. “Despite the potential… difficulties, in order for my plan to work we need Optimus on our side.”
“And if he should decide to destroy ANOTHER city in order to get at Ultraman? What then?”
Alex’s face hardened in determination. “Then we deal with him.”
Part 16
“Deal with whom?” Diane’s question preceded her as she entered the room, carrying a tray of sandwiches.
David forced a smile onto his face. “No one, Dear.”
Diane looked at her husband, disbelief clearly evident in her expression. “You know, David, you never DID really learn how to tell a lie very well. So, shall we try this again? WHO are you planning on dealing with?”
With the faint sigh of one who knows what’s about to happen, David cleared his throat.
“Optimus.”
Diane’s body went rigid. “Optimus?”
Alex nodded.
As her gaze traveled from Alex to David, Diane’s expression slowly changed. Gradually, her disbelief melted into barely controlled anxiety.
“Optimus.” Wiping her hands, Diane’s gaze locked onto her husband’s. “And you aren’t REALLY going to help him, are you?” Though her words were formed as a question, her tone made it a statement.
“I hadn’t made up my mind yet,” David confessed. “We were just talking about it, actually.”
“What’s there to talk about?” Spreading her hands, Diane smiled coldly. “That man is a MONSTER. He’s so fixated on killing Ultraman that he’ll do WHATEVER it takes to achieve that goal.” Turning to Alex, Diane slowly shook her head in disappointment. “I thought you were better than that- having to resort to these kinds of desperate measures.”
“This is NOT a desperate measure,” Alex objected.
“Then what would you call it?”
Alex took a deep, calming breath before continuing. “Look, I’ll admit that it isn’t exactly the number one choice I’d like to do. But until someone can give me a better option, it IS the one I’m choosing.”
“And WHY, might I ask, are you intending on releasing him?”
“I’m working on a plan to get rid of the Crime Syndicate,” Alex explained. “And before you ask me what the plan is, I’ll tell you this right now.” Leaning towards the couple, Alex frowned. “Until I’m certain of who’s with me and who’s against me, I’m not saying ANYTHING.”
“And if you want US with you, you’d better be a little more forthcoming with the information,” David countered, taking a bite out of a sandwich.
Part 17
Leaning his elbows on the tabletop, Alex carefully considered his next words.
“I hope you understand my reluctance to be more… open, shall we say, with my intentions.” His eyes shifting back and forth between the two, Alex held his hands open imploringly. “With everything that’s happened in the recent past, I’ve found it necessary to take a few more precautions.”
David nodded as he took another bite of sandwich. “Oh, I understand well enough. But I hope YOU understand that, before I commit myself to aiding you, I need to know what it is that you intend to do.”
Alex sighed, sitting back in his chair. Taking a sip from his glass, he finally shrugged.
“All right. First, let me explain that it won’t be just US,” the scientist said, indicating the three of them. “I’m assembling a task-force for this endeavor. Aside from myself, Optimus and- hopefully- you, I’ve also secured the assistance of both Vigilante and Shiva.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “Aren’t they those two people from Gotham City?”
Alex nodded. “Even though their primary objective is to go after Owlman, since my plans include him in them, they were willing to lend me their assistance.”
David nodded. “All right. Who else?”
“Professor Zoom.”
Diane’s eyes shot open. “Johnny Chambers? I thought he was lost in the Speed-Force?”
Alex shook his head, a satisfied smile on his face. “Not any more.”
David nodded his agreement. “Good. Is that all?”
“I’ve also asked Valkyra to join us as well,” Alex added.
David’s brow dipped down. “Valkyra? You mean that self-proclaimed Norwegian ‘goddess’ that made the news a while ago?”
Alex nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Why?”
Alex shrugged carefully. “I have my reasons.”
Part 18
David shook his head, clearly unsurprised at Alex’s stubbornness. “Cryptic as ever, eh, Alex?”
Luthor merely smiled.
David shook his head in resignation. “All right, Alex. Keep your secrets. But tell me this,” he added, leaning forward in his chair. “WHAT exactly do you have planned?”
Mentally crossing his fingers, Alex briefly outlined his intentions to the couple. As Alex talked, both David’s and Diane’s expressions changed- David’s to one of disbelief, Diane’s to one of grudging admiration.
“I’m afraid you may just have to go with him,” Diane urged David, once Alex had finished. “If for nothing else than to insure Optimus doesn’t get out of hand.”
Both Alex and David exchanged surprised glances.
“You… WANT me to go with him?” David asked in a surprised voice. “What happened to the-”
“Despite the potential problems with his plan of releasing Optimus,” Diane said, cutting off her husband. “His idea DOES have merit.”
Glancing over to his wife, David returned Alex’s smile after a moment. “All right, you win. I’m in.”
Alex’s smile grew wider. “Excellent! Let me get my armor back on, and we’ll get going.”
As the exuberant scientist stood, David placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. “First thing’s first. I have something to show you.”
Following his host out of the room, Alex could scarcely contain his excitement. Things were working out better than he’d originally figured! Not only were his plans on releasing Optimus coming to fruition, but he’d ALSO managed to convince the near-legendary Titan to assist him as well.
Wrapped up in his thoughts as he was, it took quite a few minutes for Alex to realize that they had been walking for a fair distance, and were now traveling down a long staircase into what appeared to be the house’s basement.
“Um, David?” Glancing back up the way they’d just come from, Alex scratched his chin. “Where might we be going?”
Looking over his shoulder, Titan smiled. “My lab.”
Part 19
Hauling open the massive vault door, David ushered Alex ahead of him.
“Welcome to my humble lab, Alex.”
As he entered the vast room, Alex felt his heart begin to race. Surrounding him on all sides was one of the most advanced laboratories he’d ever laid eyes on. Machines hummed, whirred, clicked and beeped in a technological symphony that sent Alex’s blood pounding.
Seeing his guest’s expression, David laughed quietly. “I take it you like?”
Alex nodded, not trusting his mouth to form coherent words.
David motioned his guest deeper into the room. “Feel free to look around. I have a few things I need to check on first.” With that, David gently lifted off the ground, disappearing into the maze of conduits and mechanisms high above.
For the next hour Alex scrutinized every piece of machinery he could find, identifying what he could, hypothesizing about others, and marveling at even more. Occasionally, the scientist would catch a brief glimpse of his host at one computer console twenty feet off the floor, only to dart away to another one fifty feet off the floor. Finally, as Alex was pondering yet another piece of equipment- one that seemed to be half machine, half organic- David unexpectedly dropped down beside him.
“So, now that you’ve had a chance to take a closer look at it, what do you think of my lab?”
“All modesty aside, I can tell how advanced your lab is, simply because I don’t recognize what quite a few of these machines do.” Alex whistled softly as he shook his head. “I could spend a lifetime in here.”
David’s smile grew. “And just think- this is only the UPPER level of my lab.”
Alex’s pulse raced even faster at the news. “How… how many more levels are there?”
“Four more,” David replied, thoroughly enjoying Alex’s shock. “Extending about one hundred and twenty meters straight down.”
Part 20
Alex couldn’t believe he’d heard correctly. “One hundred and twenty meters?”
David nodded once again.
“And ALL of it is laboratory?”
David shrugged sheepishly. “Not ALL of it is. The lowermost level is… my personal level.”
“Personal level?” Alex’s eyebrow twitched upward. “As in trophies and such?”
“You could say that.”
Alex scratched his temple uncomfortably. “Um, if you wouldn’t mind… could I maybe take a look at it?”
David nodded. “I don’t see why not.”
As the two men made their way down through the labyrinthine layers of machines and devices, David pointed out various items here and there, all the while Alex marveled at the advanced level of technology that was displayed. Finally, the two stood before a simple oak door.
“Here we are,” David announced.
Alex was taken aback. “What, this?” Pointing at the door, the scientist’s expression became puzzled. “THIS leads to your inner sanctum?”
David nodded.
“A WOODEN door?”
David smiled knowingly. “You’re wondering about the apparent lack of security, right?”
Now it was Alex’s turn to nod.
“Well don’t be,” David replied. “In order to get this far, you have to go through about a dozen different security measures.”
Part 21
Swinging open the wooden door, David bowed theatrically. “Welcome to the heart of my little world.”
No sooner had he entered than Alex’s eyes widened. “What is THAT?”
Dominating the center of the room stood a dull gray metal ring. Standing on edge, the end nearest the floor was anchored to a base shaped like a half-pyramid. Across the surface of the ring, circuitry was embedded into it, and a solitary cable connected the entire apparatus to a complex-looking computer array.
David’s smile mirrored Alex’s. “That, my friend, is my Hypertime Portal.”
Alex had to force himself to keep breathing. “Your Hypertime Portal? You mean you can actually access Hypertime with it?”
David nodded. “To a limited degree. But yes, I can access Hypertime with it.”
Alex shook his head in a mixture of awe and disbelief. “How… where…”
David’s amused laughter snapped Alex out of his trance.
“The great scientist Alexander Luthor, at a loss for words?” David chuckled. “If your peers could see you now.”
Alex sniffed. “I have no equals. You know that.”
His words, said with such straight-laced sincerity, sent David into fits of laughter, with Alex joining in seconds later.
Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, David motioned to the room around them. “I’ve got to get something, Alex. Go ahead and have a look around.”
As the scientist turned back to the portal, David slowly made his way towards an over-sized display case. Inside, a mannequin was adorned with a coal-black uniform, emblazoned with an inverted lightning bolt. Draped from its shoulders, the rich color of a crimson cape picked up the room’s light.
Standing before the Plexiglas display case, David’s expression turned wistful as he placed a hand against the cool surface. “You know, I once swore I’d never put this thing on again.”
“Then don’t,” Alex replied with a shrug, his attention remaining on the portal. “There’s nothing that says you have to wear it, you know.”
David nodded. “I know. It’s just that…” With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. “It just wouldn’t feel… RIGHT, y’know? Doing something like this and not wearing it?”
With an understanding smile, the scientist nodded. “I know what you mean. I wear my armor so often that sometimes I feel naked when I’m not wearing it.”
Part 22
“Daddy?”
The child’s voice interrupted the two men. Turning back towards the doorway, Alex saw Jessica peeking around the corner. Smiling widely, David walked over to his daughter.
“What is it, Jess?”
“Mommy sent me down to get you,” she replied. “Mr. Luthor’s armor is making a funny beeping sound.”
David turned to his guest, an eyebrow arched slightly. “Alex?”
“That’s the signal from my… associate,” Alex explained.
“And what does it mean?”
“It means that, if we’re going to rescue Optimus, we have to leave now.”
***************
The world around them was white- the blinding, glaring whiteness that even closing your eyes couldn’t keep out. A bitter wind whipped across the frigid plain, driving snowflakes before it like icy shrapnel. Amidst all the bleakness, two figures trudged across the snowy expanse; twin bits of color in a sea of white. The howling wind made the larger man’s red cape snap and toss on his shoulders, occasionally slapping up against the other man’s green and purple armor. Clad in a jet-black uniform, the big man walked easily through the harsh weather.
As the two men walked across the snowy glacier, Alex looked over at his companion. “So, whatever happened to the rest of the Justice Legion?” Motioning to the world around them, Alex shrugged. “I mean, I know that you all split up after the final battle. Is there anyone else left?”
For several long minutes, as they continued trekking through the snow, David remained silent. Finally, when Alex was certain he wouldn’t answer, Titan cleared his throat.
“After the battle, we regrouped at our headquarters,” he said in a quiet voice. “Most of us were pretty banged up. Elementalist wanted to go back and finish off the Crime Legion, but we weren’t in any shape to do much else other than pass out.” Shrugging, Titan looked into the distance. “Elementalist WAS always a little hot-headed, actually. It was his idea to go after the Crime Legion en-masse to begin with.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
Titan shrugged again. “Because I let myself be convinced it WAS a good idea.”
“What happened then?”
“After Diane and I left the Justice Legion, the remaining members followed suit as well. Elementalist was vowing to re-form the Justice Legion with new members, but… well, you remember how well that turned out.”
Alex nodded grimly. “Yeah. They died on their first outing.”
“Except Elementalist,” Titan added. “I think THAT right there was the beginning of his descent into madness.”
A thought occurred to Alex. “Do you know where he is right now? Maybe we could help him?”
“I know exactly where he is,” Titan replied, his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon. “And no, we can’t help him.”
“How can you be so certain?” Alex asked.
Titan nodded. “I know. Trust me.”
The force of the statement precluded any argument from Alex.
The pair continued to walk in silence for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Alex couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“I’ve just GOT to know,” he blurted out in a rush. “Have you ever used the Hypertime Portal? Does it work?”
A smile slowly returned to David’s lips as he nodded. “Yes, to both your questions.”
Part 23
“How long did it take you to create the portal?”
David scratched his chin in thought. “The portal itself took about half a year to make. The REAL difficulty was in creating the operating systems for it. The programming alone took nearly two years.”
“Why was that?” Alex asked.
“It’s a lot more complicated than just hopping from one dimension to another,” David explained. “You have to also take into account the sheer volume of dimensions that Hypertime encompasses. There are virtually uncountable MILLIONS of dimensional variants in Hypertime, and each of them have their own vibrational patterns that are unique to them. My computer control system scans each one, maps out and stores their vibrational pattern, logs in the coordinates for that dimension, and then moves on to the next.” Shaking his head. David laughed. “It’s all VERY time consuming. My computer has been working non-stop now for nearly three years.”
“How many dimensions does it catalog per day?”
“About… fifty-five,” David replied after a moments thought.
As Alex was about to reply, a soft beeping disrupted his chain of thought. Glancing down at his gauntlet’s readout screen, the scientist found his throat had suddenly gone dry.
“We’re here.”
Standing on the snow-swept mountaintop, overlooking the Arctic plain below, Alex pointed at the plateau in the distance.
“There it is,” he stated.
Following Alex’s gesture, Titan immediately spotted the giant, yellow-gold door seated deep in the side of the massive plateau. An icy overhang shielded the door from being spotted by passing aircraft. Engraved in the face of the door, covering it across its width was Ultraman’s emblem.
“The Lair of the Beast,” Titan muttered. Sparing a glance at the scientist, David snorted. “And YOU want to go in there?”
Slowly, Alex nodded.
Part 24
“Well, if we’re going to do this, let’s get started.” Nodding at the control panel in Alex’s gauntlet, David’s eyebrows rose in a question. “What you’re doing there- is that going to help us get around the various security systems?” David asked.
Entering in several more commands into his gauntlet’s control system, Alex chuckled. “I have a… friend, of sorts, who has provided me with the technical specs of the Fortress.”
David’s eyes widened in surprise. “A ‘friend,’ you say, gave you this information? And you TRUST this person?”
Alex nodded, his attention focused on the readout. “He has a rather intimate knowledge of the systems.”
“And this friend is whom?” David inquired.
Alex glanced over at Titan, his expression serious. “Not unless you’re completely on-board, David.”
Titan waved a hand at their surroundings. “I’m here, aren’t I? Doesn’t that kind of prove my being on-board? What more do you want?”
Alex pointed at the golden door in the distance. “When we BOTH cross that threshold, David- THEN I’ll tell you everything.”
Part 25
“And when we cross the threshold, it’ll be too late for me to back out,” David retorted.
Alex shrugged unapologetically. “Look at it as being just another one of the risks we take by being in this business.”
David glared at Alex. “Yeah, but I’m not IN the business anymore.”
“Then why are you here?”
David glanced away. “Because I can’t say ‘no’ to my wife,” he muttered.
A single tone from Alex’s gauntlet drew the scientist’s attention. “It’s time to go.”
Lifting into the air, the pair set down just outside the massive vault door.
David sighed. “Is it supposed to just open for us?”
Several loud clanking sounds echoed from within the door.
Alex glanced over to his companion, a small smile on his lips. “Well, now that you mention it…”
As the final lock disengaged, Alex found himself holding his breath as the massive vault door opened, its hinges squealing like demons from their disuse. As the light spilled into the revealed entryway, it also illuminated a gaunt, jade-green figure standing just inside.
“Brainiac,” David hissed, stepping back.
Beside him, Alex remained unmoved. “Is everything going according to the plan, Brainiac?”
The green android nodded, with only a slight hesitation. “It is, however, more difficult than I anticipated to exert control over this unit, Alexander Luthor.”
The beginnings of alarm began to creep into Alex’s eyes. “How long until you lose control?”
“Fifteen minutes,” Brainiac replied. “No longer.”
Part 26
“Then we’d better get moving,” Alex said. As he began to move into the facility, he found his way obstructed by Titan.
“You’re telling me that Brainiac is this ‘friend’ of yours?”
Alex nodded. “I understand your hesitation, David, but it’s unwarranted. Not long ago, in an attempt to free himself from Ultraman, Brainiac managed to download a duplicate of his consciousness into a specially prepared unit. This unit has the ability to briefly usurp Ultraman’s control over various Brainiac-units.”
David jerked a thumb at the patiently waiting android. “Like THAT one?”
Alex nodded, glancing at his gauntlet’s clock. “Brainiac was able to temporarily take control of this unit, and use it to deactivate the security systems here.”
“Fourteen minutes, thirty seconds,” Brainiac intoned.
“And what happens when he loses control?” David asked.
“Then all Heaven is going to break loose,” Alex replied.
With only a final, brief pause, David spun on his heel and walked into the Fortress.
As the mismatched trio walked into the lair, Alex forced himself to focus on their objective, rather than on the myriad technological marvels that surrounded them.
>I suppose it’s a good thing that the lights are off, < Alex mused wryly. >Keeps me from getting sidetracked. <
“Brainiac,” David asked. “Why are all the lights off?”
“Knowing Alexander Luthor’s penchant for becoming engrossed in his study of scientific marvels, I deemed it prudent to deactivate the lights,” the android replied.
Part 27
As the three men neared the back of the complex, Brainiac slowed.
“Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you any further,” the jade-hued creature said.
David’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And why is that?”
“No Brainiac units are allowed on the detention level,” Brainiac replied. Pointing at a door set into the back wall, the android turned towards Alex. “That elevator will take the two of you to your destination.”
“Were you able to deactivate the electronic locks on his cell as you thought?” Alex asked.
Brainiac nodded. “The only remaining security lock is the physical one inside the vault door.”
Alex smiled innocently at Titan. “And that’s where YOU come into play.”
************
Moments later, deep within the depths of Ultraman’s arctic retreat, Alex and Titan stood before a huge vault door.
Motioning towards it, Alex took a step back. “I believe this is where YOUR expertise is called for.”
Stepping forward, David peered intently at the door, as if taking its measure. Finally, the hero took a deep breath before bracing a foot on the wall as he sank his fingers into the barricade and began pulling.
The vault door didn’t budge.
Redoubling his efforts, Titan continued to pull.
The door remained solid.
Straining to his utmost, Titan threw every last vestige of strength he had into his work, a growl of anger escaping his clenched teeth. Muscles bulging, thin trickles of sweat worked their way down his face as he continued his Herculean task.
Deep within the vault door, a low groaning began.
Alex’s eyes lit up. “It’s giving, Titan!”
With a final roar of fury, David gave one last heave. Metal shrieked in protest as the massive door was ripped from its frame. Shoving the mass of twisted metal to the side, Titan sank back against the wall, breathing heavily.
Moving towards the opening, Alex bit back a startled cry as he came face-to-face with two piercing blue eyes buried beneath a mass of matted, tangled black hair. Where the man’s beard ended and his hair began was virtually impossible to determine.
“W-Who… are… you?” The man’s voice was a guttural croaking sound.
Regaining his composure, Alex stepped forward. “My name is Alexander Luthor. This,” he added, motioning to his swiftly recovering companion. “This is Titan. We’re here to rescue you.”
“Rescue… me.” Slowly, the man spoke, as if trying out the words to see if they fit. “Rescue me?”
Titan nodded. “Right. We’re here to get you out of this place.”
Nodding his agreement, Optimus quickly followed after the two men, heading back towards the elevator. As the car ascended, Titan looked over the disheveled man.
“You look a mess,” Titan said.
Optimus smiled. “Not many mirrors here. And even if there were, I have nothing to shave with.”
Part 28
With a low moan, Optimus sagged back against the wall of the elevator, clutching a hand to his head.
Titan reached over to him. “Are you all right?”
The disheveled man looked back in appreciation. “It’s just a momentary weakness- it’ll pass in a second or two. Since my energy levels dropped to nearly non-existent a few years ago, I’ve been plagued by these spells every now and then.”
“Power levels?” Glancing over to Alex, David’s expression became puzzled. “Doesn’t he get his powers from anti-kryptonite, like Ultraman?”
Alex shook his head. “No. Unlike Ultraman, Optimus receives his powers from the solar radiation of a yellow sun.”
Titan slowly nodded. “I remember now.”
“Once we get him into the sunlight, his powers will come back,” Alex explained.
No sooner had the scientist said those words than the elevator came to a stop. As the doors opened, Brainiac patiently waited just outside them.
“Five minutes, thirty-seven seconds until control is lost.”
Putting Optimus’s arm across his shoulder, Alex hustled past the android. “Thanks for the update, Brainiac.”
Seconds later, standing on the lip of the ledge, Optimus spread his arms wide, leaning his head back as he basked in the sunlight.
“After SO long,” he murmured. “You have NO idea how good this feels.”
“How long until you’ve regained your strength?” Alex asked.
“It’s going to take a little while,” Optimus replied. “My energy levels have dropped so low-”
“Much as I’d like to let you continue this conversation, gentlemen,” David said, glancing uneasily at the horizon. “I suggest we remove ourselves from the premises before some rather unwelcome guests arrive.”
“Like whom?” Optimus asked.
David pointed at the horizon. “Them.”
Far in the distance, the setting sun’s last rays of light glinted off several figures that flew swiftly through the air.
“Ultrabots,” David muttered. “Five of them, coming up fast.”
“Then let’s get going,” Alex said, putting Optimus’s arm across his shoulders once more. “Optimus can continue recharging as we fly.”
“Remember our agreement, Alexander Luthor,” Brainiac called after the departing trio. “I will expect you to uphold your end of the bargain.”
Part 29
Several hours later, the three men neared Titan’s hidden home.
“All right,” Titan said. “Once we get back to my house, that’s it- I am officially DONE with you both. Understand?” As they nodded in unison, Titan’s eyes flashed crimson briefly. “And I don’t EVER want to see either of you two back here again.”
Reluctantly, Alex nodded again.
“Why are you so adamant about remaining outside the rest of the world?” Optimus asked, the wind whipping his long hair about his face. “With your powers, there’s so much good that you could do for-”
“I’ve BEEN that rout before, Optimus,” Titan interrupted. “All it got me in the end was a bunch of dead friends.”
“I understand that,” Optimus replied. “But what I’m saying is that-”
“Is that smoke?”
Alex’s question cut through the conversation like a laser. Each man turned his attention in the direction Alex indicated.
As they neared the mountain range, Optimus frowned. Next to him, Titan’s face slowly paled.
“I don’t know,” Optimus said. “It DOES look like it, though. Could it be a forest fire?”
“Well, we’ll know soon enough,” Alex replied softly.
Cresting the mountains, Optimus gasped in horror. “Oh, sweet Creator!”
“NO!” Titan’s horrified bellow rang from the mountain peaks around them.
The house was gone. In its place, a smoldering crater belched thick black smoke into the sky. Scattered pieces of debris still burned in places, making the ground appear as if it were covered in orange fireflies.
In the field that once fronted the house, giant letters had been burned into the ground, coal-black against green:
‘WELCOME BACK, TITAN!’
Part 30
Kneeling in the still-smoking remains of what was once his house, tears coursed down Titan’s cheeks, drawing tracks in the ashes that clung to his face.
Alex slowly walked through the rubble in shock, his mind a blank. Beside him, Optimus slowly shook his head, his face a mask of grief. As Optimus’s head suddenly jerked upright, Titan launched himself across the burned surface, heading towards the far corner of what had once been the house.
Alex glanced over at Optimus. “Why’d Titan take off like that?”
“He heard something.” Meeting Alex’s gaze, Optimus’s face brightened slightly. “He heard someone call ‘Daddy.’”
A short distance away, Titan knelt on the ground. Gently clearing off the rubble, Titan felt his breath freeze in his lungs.
Beneath the final piece, her battered face covered in a mask of blood, Jessica lay motionless.
“J-Jess?”
One eye flickered open. “D-Dad?”
Titan held a finger to her lips. “Shh. Don’t try to speak, Honey. I’ll have you out of here in a second.”
“I… tried, Daddy,” Jessica sobbed, her words barely intelligible. “I tried… to buy Mo… Mommy some time… to get away… with C-Christopher. He… he hurt Chris SO bad, Daddy. I did… my… best.” Shaking her head as best she could, fresh tears welled up in her swollen eyes. “B-But he… was so… strong.”
“WHO was so strong, baby?” David asked in a gentle voice. Deep inside, though, the hero already knew.
Jessica’s answer confirmed it.
“Ultraman.”
Fighting to keep calm, David finished clearing the debris off his daughter. His eyes peered into her body, seeking out any internal damages that had been inflicted by the attack. When he was satisfied her injuries weren’t life-threatening, he gently cradled her in his arms.
“Jessica, where’d your Mom and Christopher go?”
The young woman pointed a trembling hand at the deep crater. “Into your lab.”
“But… but the lab’s gone,” David whispered in horror.
“I know,” Jessica whimpered, burying her face in her father’s chest.
Part 31
“I… I’m sorry,” Alex whispered.
“Damn you, Alexander Luthor,” Titan rasped, his voice a ragged shadow of itself. “Damn you, and damn your little war.” His voice grew softer. “And damn ME for believing in you.”
“He didn’t do this, David,” Optimus insisted. “It was the-”
“I KNOW DAMN WELL WHO IT WAS!” Titan’s roar nearly deafened Alex. Standing to his feet, his fists clenched in the air before him, Titan’s lips curled into a snarl. “Alex might not have killed my family, but he sure as HELL assisted the Syndicate in discovering where I was!”
“I don’t see how,” Alex objected. “I took EVERY precaution-”
Titan’s harsh, ragged laugh cut Alex off. “With the history between you and the Crime Syndicate, did you HONESTLY think that Ultraman wasn’t keeping tabs on you? Did you think that he wouldn’t become curious when you up and vanished off his sensors when you entered the masking field around my home? Not to mention the fact that you sent TEN of your probes here! Did you think he wouldn’t wonder WHY you did that?” Advancing on the scientist, Titan’s hand shot out, grabbing Alex by the front of his armor.
“You brought the Crime Syndicate to my doorstep, you bastard,” Titan hissed menacingly. “And MY FAMILY paid the price for your stupidity!”
“Put him down, Titan,” Optimus warned. “Now.”
Holding Alex in his grasp for several more seconds, Titan suddenly released his grip, dropping the scientist back onto his feet.
Sweeping the semi-unconscious form of his daughter up into his arms, Titan glared murderously at Alex.
“I made an oath to my wife that I’d help you carry out your plan.” Titan’s voice was all the more chilling by its complete lack of emotion. “I want you to know this simple fact- the ONLY reason you’re still alive is because of that oath.” Shaking his head slowly, his eyes fixed on Alex, Titan blinked away the tears from his eyes. “All I wanted to do was to live out the rest of my life, with my family, AWAY from the outside world. Now, thanks to you, my life is all but destroyed.” Glancing down at the still form in his arms, Titan drew a deep breath.
“I’m going to take Jessica somewhere safe- somewhere away from everything and everyone. Someplace where she can heal in peace.” As Titan glanced back up at Alex, the scientist felt his heart skip a beat from the tightly controlled fury he saw in the other man’s eyes.
“If I were you, Alex, I’d start saying my prayers; after this is all over, you and I are going to have a nice, long… talk.”
Alex, his eyes forlorn, held a hand out to Titan. “I… I never meant…”
David’s eyes hardened. “You better pray your plan works, Alex. You had better PRAY that the Crime Syndicate pays for all they’ve done. Because if they don’t?” David shook his head. “You can be certain SOMEONE will pay for this.”
Optimus stepped forward, his own eyes steel-hard. “Alex meant well, Titan, and you KNOW that. I owe that man my freedom. I will NOT allow-”
“And if you get in my way, Optimus,” Titan smoothly interrupted. “I’ll deal with YOU as well. You think it was Hell being locked away in that cell for all those years?” David shook his head, his eyes wild with grief. “You have NO idea what Hell truly is.”
Lifting into the air, the elder hero cast one final glare at Alex before rocketing away.
EPILOGUE
ULTRAMAN’S FLYING FORTRESS
Leaning back in his chair, Ultraman stared in undisguised admiration at his newest acquisition.
Suspended in an anti-gravitational field, the dull gray portal hovered motionless, the room’s lights playing off its etched surface.
Entering the room, beer can in hand, Power Ring belched appreciatively as he caught sight of the device. “New toy, Boss? Looks nice.”
Ultraman grunted absently, his eyes never leaving the machine.
“What’s it do?”
“It’s a Hypertime Portal,” Ultraman murmured. “And it’s mine.”
Finishing off the can of beer, Power Ring casually tossed it away, only to have it dutifully whisked away before it even hit the ground by one of Ultraman’s ever-present Brainiac drones.
“Um, Boss?” Scratching the back of his head, Joseph fidgeted nervously. “You ARE aware that Luthor and some guy in black broke Optimus out of his cell?” Jerking a thumb back the way he’d just come, Power Ring shrugged. “The Ultrabots just reported in a few seconds ago. They said the place was trashed.”
“I know.”
“Well, aren’t you… I don’t know, concerned?”
Ultraman shook his head. “No, Optimus is one person who I’m NOT concerned with.”
“Why’s that?”
“Optimus has a VERY strong opinion of what’s right and wrong,” Ultraman explained. “At least, a strong opinion of what’s right and wrong to HIS understanding. It doesn’t matter what Luthor’s plan is- eventually, Optimus will begin to feel that it’s not progressing fast enough for his tastes and he’ll begin to chafe under Luthor’s restrictions. He’ll grow more and more dissatisfied with the situation, gradually alienating himself from the other group members until he finally gets fed up enough and simply leaves.” Ultraman shrugged once more. “After that, he’ll be easy enough to deal with.”
Nodding in agreement, Power Ring glanced away, only to return his attention to the device Ultraman was intently studying.
“Hey, waitaminute! Hypertime?” Pointing towards the portal, Joseph’s face split into a smile. “That thing can get you into all them parallel universes and stuff?”
Ultraman nodded again.
“So how’s it work?”
The Tyrant of Centropolis’s face finally showed a glimmer of emotion: anger.
“I don’t know,” he grudgingly admitted. “That old bitch destroyed the control console before grabbing her brat son and diving into the opened portal.”
“She escaped?”
Ultraman’s head jerked in a harsh nod.
“Bummer.” Rubbing his chin, Power Ring smirked faintly. “So, if she destroyed the console before she escaped, then how are you going to get it to work?”
Slowly, like a glacier shifting, Ultraman turned his head to look at Power Ring.
Taking the hint, Power Ring beat a hasty retreat.
Returning his attention to the portal, Ultraman snorted. “I can recreate the control console,” he muttered. “After all, how difficult could it be?”
By aarnathx
Part 1
The computer’s soft humming filled the cluttered room, soothing Alexander Luthor’s nerves. With the overhead lights turned off, using only the multi-colored lights on the computer for illumination, Alex always found that it gave the room a comfortable glow.
>Like being in the heart of a Christmas tree year-round, < he thought. >At least, if this world HAD a holiday like ‘Christmas,’ and not some twisted version of it instead. < Not for the first time, and certainly not the last, Alex found himself fondly remembering the time he spent on the positive-matter Earth and all the things he learned in his time there. As his mind drifted back to his experiences there, he only absently paid attention to the screens in front of him.
On each monitor, information flooded in to the command center from dozens of small, stealth-capable robotic drones as they canvassed the planet for their creator, gathering information. Everything from climate changes to the latest movements of the Crime Syndicate was sent back to Luthor’s headquarters to be stored and catalogued.
As Alex daydreamed of a more perfect world, he nearly missed the momentary alert blip from one of the monitors.
Snapping back to the present, Alex scrolled the information flow back to the moment of the incident, his eyes quickly scanning over the information. As he finished the summation, his breath caught in his throat.
>For just half a second, my sentries registered someone- or something- out in the wilds of the Colorado Rockies with nearly the power level of Ultraman. < As his fingers flew over the keyboard, dispatching several other robots to the area, Alex’s brow knit in thought. >What on Earth could be THAT powerful? <
Leaning back in his chair, Alex watched the screens closely.
Part 2
Biting back a curse, Alex stood up from his chair. He’d sent nearly ten robotic sentries to the area he’d received the alert from, with nothing more to show for it. From the readings he was getting now, there was absolutely nothing there. Glancing over to the screen on his right displaying a frozen frame of the alert readings, his eyes narrowed in determination.
>There was SOMETHING there, blast it, < he mused.
Staring at the screen for a few seconds longer, Alex nodded to himself.
>Time to check it out for myself. <
ONE HOUR LATER, OVER COLORADO
Glancing at the display screen in his gauntlet, Alex smiled grimly. >Almost there. <
Cresting a mountainous ridge, Alex’s caught sight of the edge of a clearing in the distance, nestled between two mountains.
>There it is. <
Coming to a soft landing at the edge of the large clearing, Alex whistled softly in admiration at the size of the dwelling opposite him.
Spread across nearly the entire width of the open area, the mansion rose over five stories into the air. At the front of the house, four thick pillars supported an ornate awning above the main door. To each side of the door, large bay windows allowed the morning sun to illuminate the house’s interior.
Absently checking his armor’s sensors, Alex’s wondrous expression darkened faintly.
>There’s no discernable electrical readings, < he mused to himself. >No power output, no wiring or generators… nothing at all. <
Deciding to investigate further, Alex had taken no more than a single step onto the carefully manicured lawn when a colossus of a man walked around the side of the house, carrying a felled tree on his shoulder.
Part 3
His eyes never leaving the newcomer’s own, Alex forced himself to slow his breathing as his pulse raced with excitement.
>Oh, sweet Satan! It’s HIM, < Alex thought triumphantly to himself.
Keying his armor’s telescopic mode, Alex focused on the massive man’s face, comparing the captured image against others in his data-banks. As his systems ran through their comparisons, Alex fairly vibrated with anticipation. Finally, finishing their search, his computer superimposed its findings on his helmet’s viewscreen.
Alex felt like his face would split from the size of his smile.
>It IS him! It’s Titan! <
The whole time Alex was doing this, the other man had calmly placed the tree on the ground and was casually strolling across the grass towards him, his hands nonchalantly stuffed into his pockets. The wind gently ruffled the man’s hair; black, with gray peppered through its temples. The man’s flannel shirt strained across the chest with every breath he took as he neared the armored scientist.
As he neared, Alex decided to break the silence. Holding out his hand, Alex smiled cordially. “Alexander Luthor.”
“David Brinkley,” the other man replied, shaking Alex’s hand.
Glancing around, Alex nodded appreciatively at the surroundings. “You know, this is exactly the type of headquarters I figured you’d have: tucked away from prying eyes, shielded from detection, and BIG.” Once more, Alex nodded. “Exactly the type of home the last two remaining members of the Justice Legion of Amerika would have.”
“I’m sorry, I have NO idea who you’re talking about,” the heavily muscled man said, waving away Alex’s comment. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like it if you left now.”
As David began to turn away, Alex took a gamble.
“I think you DO… Titan,” Alex countered, pitching his voice low so only the two of them could hear his voice. Though there was only the two of them anywhere in sight, Alex didn’t feel like taking any chances.
David froze in his tracks. Slowly, like a continent shifting, he turned to face Alex.
“What was that you said?” David’s voice was flat, emotionless.
Part 4
“I know you heard me,” Alex replied, his demeanor turning serious. “With YOUR hearing, you probably heard me coming when I was still miles away.”
Stepping closer to the scientist, David stared evenly at Alex, his gray eyes betraying no emotion. “Mister… Luthor, was it? I think it’s time you left my land. You’ve wasted enough of my time as it is. I want NOTHING to do with the outside world, and I’d appreciate it if the outside world would reciprocate that feeling.”
Turning away from Alex, David began to walk back towards the mansion-sized house.
“You might not have that choice, David,” Alex reasoned. “After all, if I could find you, so can… others.”
David didn’t even hesitate. “Then I pity those… OTHERS, if they do find me. Regardless of that, I want you gone.”
“Now wait just a damn minute,” Alex said, darting forward and grabbing David’s arm.
Stopping once more, David glanced down at the restraining hand. “Y’know, Alex, I’m REALLY glad you just did that.”
Alex never saw the fist that sent him careening backwards across the field. The sound of the blow, though, rang through his helmet deafeningly. Lying on his back, staring blankly up into the blue sky, the scientist groggily wondered if this might not be a mistake. After a few more seconds of wondering why the ringing in his ears wasn’t fading away, Alex finally realized it was the sensors in his armor notifying him of the damage that had been done by the blow. Scanning his eyes over the readouts, Alex suppressed a shudder of horror at the extent of the damage.
>Half of my armor’s operating systems have been damaged, < the hero thought in shock. >Weapons are off-line, and my… <
David dropping down onto the prone man, the impact driving Alex into the ground nearly half a foot, interrupted Alex’s train of thought. Even through his armor, the blow knocked the breath from the scientist. Gazing up, as he fought for air, Alex tried to make sense of what was happening.
Kneeling on Alex’s chest, David scowled. “Do yourself a favor, Alex. Leave me the Heaven alone. If not?” Lifting his hand above Alex’s face, David clenched it tightly into a fist. His knuckles cracking sounded almost like gunfire.
“I… need your… help,” Alex gasped defiantly. “I’m not… leaving… until I get… it.”
David wrapped his hand around Alex’s throat, his eyes narrowing dangerously. “Wrong answer.”
A smaller, feminine hand gently grasped Titan’s shoulder from behind.
“Honey, stop.”
Though his hand never wavered from Alex’s throat, Titan hesitated. Casting a look over his shoulder, David shook his head. “I can’t, Diane. This stupid, arrogant moron will bring the entire Syndicate down on us unless I get rid of him NOW.”
Part 5
Her smile never wavering, Diane shook her head faintly. “David, you’ve had numerous opportunities to do that. If you REALLY wanted him dead, he’d already BE dead.”
For a long moment, David continued to stare at his wife. Then, just when Alex was thinking he still might actually die, David lifted his hand from around his neck.
“You know, Honey, you have a MOST annoying habit of being right,” David growled in mock fierceness.
Diane patted him affectionately on the cheek. “I know, Dear. It’s because I AM always right.” Motioning down towards Alex, Diane turned back to the house. “Now, help up our visitor and bring him to the house. I’ll fix us all lunch.”
As she walked away, David reached a ham-sized hand out to Alex, helping him up. But, as the scientist was about to follow her, that same hand found itself against his chestplate, holding him in place.
“Don’t get too comfortable,” David warned. “As soon as I can arrange it, you’re GONE. And don’t EVER come back.”
Alex’s patience finally boiled over. “Why are you so set on me leaving? What is it…?”
“DADDY!”
Before Alex’s disbelieving eyes, twin raven-haired children darted out of the sky, tackling the big man in a jumble of arms, legs and laughter. As he watched, Alex found himself even a little envious of David, and the carefully protected life he’d obviously created for his family.
“Daddy, is he a bad man?” Intense blue eyes peered with unbridled curiosity at Alex. Flipping back her hair from her face, the young girl canted her head slightly to the side.
“Why do you ask that, Jessica?” David inquired.
“’Cause you hit him, silly!” A second pair of intense blue eyes fixed themselves on Alex.
“It was a mistake, Christopher,” David replied, glancing at the scientist. “Daddy reacted like that because he… because he thought this man was someone else.”
“A bad man?” the girl pressed.
David nodded. “Yes, Honey. A bad man.” Casting a glance towards the house, David stood up from the ground. “Now, the two of you go wash up for lunch and help your mother set the table. Go on,” he added, seeing their less than enthusiastic expressions.
Launching themselves into the air and towards the mansion, the twins quickly were lost from sight.
David solemnly turned to Alex. “NOW you see why I want you to leave?”
Part 6
Entering the house close behind David, Alex marveled at the size of the interior. What would have been the rooms of a normal sized house had been scaled up and made positively cavernous by sweeping arches of ceiling. The house’s furnishings, while functional, were different from room to room. While one room might echo the more ornate, with carved dark wood and crystal, another seemed to belong in some future era, with molded plastic seats hovering on cushions of energy. The only constant from room to room, though, were the various electronic devices. Here and there, statues and paintings added color to the surroundings.
Seeing Alex’s expression, David smiled. “When every member of your family can fly, it kind of necessitates the creation of areas large enough to accommodate it, don’t you think?”
Dumfounded, Alex nodded.
“Now, before we go any further, there’s something you have to do for me,” David said, turning to face Luthor.
Snapping out of his admiration of the house, Alex eyed David warily. “And what might that be?”
“Take off your armor.”
Alex gaped at him. “Take off my armor?”
“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in your normal clothes?” Smiling gently, David pointed down. “Besides, your armor is scuffing the marble floor.”
At Titan’s bidding, Alex entered a small antechamber and began the meticulous process of removing his armor. Once the last piece had been removed, Alex was momentarily overtaken with the sudden feeling of being vulnerable.
>I’ve spent so much time inside that armor of late, it feels… unnatural to be out of it, < Alex thought.
Exiting the room, a small figure brought the scientist to a halt. Despite himself, Alex felt a smile grow on his face. “You’re Jessica, right?”
The tiny girl nodded vigorously. “Yeah. Daddy sent me to bring you to the dining room. He’d like to talk with you.”
Part 7
Entering the dining room, Jessica ushered Alex to a seat at the table.
“Dad will be in with the drinks in a second, Mr. Luthor,” Jessica said sweetly.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than David entered the room, a large tray balanced on one hand, a pile of newspapers in the other. Eying the small girl with a mock, ferocious scowl, David cleared his throat.
“I believe I asked someone to get ready for lunch, did I not?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Then why aren’t your hands washed like I asked?”
Jessica rolled her eyes. “’Cause they’re just gonna get dirty again,” she sighed, as if the answer were painfully obvious. “’Sides, I’m invun… invulrn… I’m really tough,” she finished with a beaming smile.
David fought to keep the smile from his face. “But your brother’s washing up, and he’s as tough as you are.”
Jessica shook her head sadly. “That’s ‘cause he’s younger than me, and he doesn’t know any better.”
“You’re only two hours older than your brother,” Diane replied, entering the room from the kitchen, a heavily laden platter in her hands. “And besides, whoever HASN’T washed for lunch doesn’t get any dessert.”
Jessica vanished in a blur of motion.
Part 8
Alex found himself smiling as David’s wife entered the dining room. “I must say, Ma’am, that it is an honor to finally meet you.”
Diane laughed lightly, the sound like the tinkling of tiny bells. Running a hand through her mostly iron-gray hair, she raised her eyebrows. “You know who I am? After all these years?”
Alex nodded vigorously. “I do, Ma’am. When you and your husband were members of the Justice Legion, you went by the codename of ‘Stellar Lass.’ Rumor had it that you were actually a Princess from an alien race, who left her world to seek adventure among the stars in order to avoid an arranged marriage.” Lifting his eyes skyward, Alex frowned in concentration. “After you and Titan were married, you were both required to resign due to the Legion’s by-laws. It was only after Reflectar and Ras Al Ghul were killed in action against the Crime Legion of Amerika that the marriage by-law was rescinded, allowing the two of you to return to active duty. You and Titan remained on active duty with the Justice Legion for several more years, right up until… the war.” Alex finished his narrative, clearing his throat self-consciously.
Placing the tray on the table, Diane lightly applauded. “Very good, Alex. I’m impressed.”
Alex shrugged uncomfortably, his cheeks blushing slightly. “Well… I read a lot of the books they put out about the Justice Legion.”
“Ah,” Diane said, nodding knowingly. “The ILLEGAL books, you mean.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” Alex said, glancing away. “Dad never really paid that law any attention. He always said that ‘education should know no boundaries.’”
Unseen by Alex, David and Diane exchanged a look. “Your Father sounds like a pretty intelligent man, Alex.”
“Oh, he was,” Alex agreed. “He was a genius. Just not too good at being a father.”
“Why was that?” David asked. “That is, if you don’t mind my asking.”
“He was never around very much,” Alex answered. “He always had some out of town meeting he had to go to, or had to stay late after work, or any other number of excuses as to why he couldn’t spend very much time with me.”
David nodded knowingly. “I see.”
Part 9
“Well, Alex, I’m sure he must have thought what he was doing was REALLY important,” Diane supplied, taking the various dishes off the tray and placing them on the table. “After all, it must have been. Otherwise, why would he have done it?”
David nodded. “She’s right- if what he was doing WASN’T that important, he would have been right there with you all the time.” He shrugged. “At least, that’s what he always said.”
Alex rubbed his jaw in thought. “You’re probably right, David. But still…” Just then, David’s words finally registered. Lifting his eyes, Alex stared at the muscular man. “Wait a minute. What do you mean ‘that’s what he always said?’”
David shrugged. “I mean exactly that- that’s what he always said.” Canting his head towards Diane, David motioned to her. “Isn’t that right, Honey?”
Diane nodded. “Every time I talked to him, it was actually difficult to get him to NOT talk about his family.”
Alex was stunned.
Seeing his reaction, David briefly shot his wife a look before returning his attention to Alex. “You mean this is all news to you?”
Numbly, Alex nodded.
David sat down across from his guest. “All right, then. Tell me something- did your father ever STOP going to out of town meetings?” At Alex’s nod, David smiled faintly. “And when did this happen?”
Alex shrugged. “That’s easy- it was the day after… the day after the war.” Alex’s eyebrows rose in shock. “Sweet Creator! It never occurred to me!”
Sitting at the table herself, Diane nodded. “Your father was a GREAT asset to the Justice Legion.”
Part 10
Alex shook his head. “No, that can’t be true. He COULDN’T have been part of the Justice Legion.”
“What makes you say that, Alex?” David asked.
“Because… because I would have known,” Alex insisted after a moment’s hesitation.
“Really?” Diane’s voice was still smooth, despite the question. “And how exactly would you have known? To this day, NO ONE outside of the remaining members of the Justice Legion knows that your father was one of us. Believe me,” she stressed. “The Crime Legion of Amerika tried for YEARS to discover the identities of the Justice Legion. Those that they discovered, they killed.”
“Which was one reason many of us retired,” David added. “By that time, quite a few of us had families of our own, and we knew that the Crime Legion threatened THEIR lives as well as ours.”
“Besides, we’d suffered so many losses during the war with the Crime Legion, many of us had simply… lost the drive. The fire had gone out of us,” Diane finished, glancing away self-consciously.
David reached over, placing his hand atop hers, lending her his unspoken support.
“Let me guess,” Alex said, his voice bitter. “YOU two had to talk him into retiring from the Justice Legion?”
David’s head snapped around to face Alex. “What gives you THAT idea?”
The sharp note to David’s voice gave Alex pause. “Well, I assumed-”
“You assumed WRONG,” Diane interrupted. “As a matter of fact, David and I tried to STOP him from leaving the group.”
Part 11
“You… tried to STOP him from leaving?” Alex’s voice was filled with disbelief.
David nodded. “Yeah, we did. But he wouldn’t hear any of it.”
Diane nodded as well. “He figured he’d spent enough time as it was, away from his family.”
Alex snorted. “He sure did.”
David’s hand slapping the tabletop nearly startled Alex from his seat.
“That man did EVERYTHING he could to bring a little light into this world,” the muscular man growled. “I will NOT sit here and hear his memory be tarnished by his son, of all people.”
“Easy, David,” Diane soothed. “What’s past is past. WE know the truth,” she added, shooting Alex an angry glare. “Even if others DON’T.”
Alex sat back in his chair. “My father… a member of the Justice Legion.” Shaking his head, the scientist mulled the thought over in his mind for several minutes. Finally, bringing himself back to the here-and-now, Alex looked over the table at David.
“So, David, what’s YOUR story?”
David’s eyes widened in puzzlement at Alex’s question. “What, you mean you don’t know?”
Alex shook his head.
“As you’ve no doubt surmised, Alex, I’m not from around here,” David said, pouring several glasses of lemonade. “I’m actually from another world… another UNIVERSE, actually.” Setting the glasses around the table, David sipped from one as he organized his thoughts.
“My father was a scientist on my homeworld- the greatest scientist on the planet, according to HIM,” David began, gazing out the window, his mind drifting to the past. “One day he went to the Science Council, proclaiming that the earthquakes the planet had been suffering of late were the signs of the world’s impending destruction.”
A memory tickled the back of Alex’s mind as he listened. “And, did they believe him?”
David shook his head. “No. My father, though, was absolutely convinced he was right. He built a ship large enough to carry our entire family to safety, intending to leave our homeworld before its destruction.” David sipped his drink again. “He programmed the ship to automatically launch at a pre-designated time. The Council caught wind of my father’s intention to send his family into space and, believing him to be insane, notified the Public Health and Safety Committee of the situation. They, in turn, notified the authorities. When they came to my house to arrest my father, I ran and hid in the first place I could think of: the ship he’d built.”
“What happened then?” Alex asked.
“There was a malfunction in the ship’s launching controls,” David explained. “It launched almost immediately after I closed the door.”
Alex’s eyes widened in shock.
Taking another sip of his drink, David’s brow furrowed in thought, clearly uncomfortable with his memories. “I could hear my father pounding on the ship’s door, screaming at me to get out. But I couldn’t. And then, once the ship’s engines had ignited, it was FAR too late.”
Slipping up behind her husband, Diane softly placed her hand on his shoulder, silently lending him her support. Reaching his own hand up and placing it over hers, Titan took a deep breath before continuing.
“Once the ship had left the atmosphere, its faster-than-light engines activated. Unfortunately, my father wasn’t nearly the scientist he thought he was.” Shrugging, David swirled the contents of his glass around, the ice cubes clinking softly against the sides. “The engine’s power ratio was out of balance. When they came on-line, the power fluctuations tore a hole in the space/time continuum, throwing my ship into another dimension.” Raising his glass in a toast, David’s lips quirked up into a sad smile. “This one.”
Part 12
“I was wondering, David,” Alex said. “Would you happen to have the computer logs from your ship handy? If you wouldn’t mind, I’d really like to take a look at them.”
David rubbed his chin in thought. Finally, he shrugged. “Sure, why not?”
Departing the room, he returned seconds later, a laptop computer in his hands. Placing it on the table in front of the scientist, David entered in several commands at blurring speed. When he straightened back up, Alex glanced at the device. Mathematical calculations filled the screen.
“I have the ship’s log on my main computer in my lab,” David explained. “But from this laptop, you can access them easy enough.”
Nodding, his attention already absorbed into analyzing the screen, Alex’s eyes lit with pleasure as he began his work.
“Near as I can tell, your ship entered this dimension through a multi-dimensional space/time nexus,” Alex stated, scrolling through the readings on the screen.
“You mean Hypertime?” David asked.
Alex’s eyes registered his surprise before he nodded. “Yes- Hypertime.” Leaning forward, the scientist stared at his host with undisguised curiosity. “HOW did you know…?”
“Let’s just say that I try to keep as well versed as possible in pretty much everything, and leave it at that, all right?”
Slowly, reluctantly, Alex nodded. “Very well. But, you’re right about it having been Hypertime. Since you didn’t DIRECTLY pierce the dimensional barriers between a positive-matter universe and the anti-matter universe, the ‘balancing’ didn’t take place like it normally does.”
“Excuse me,” Diane interjected, smiling sweetly. “But, for those of us who AREN’T geniuses, would someone care to explain what this ‘balancing’ is?”
“To preserve the balance between dimensions, whenever mass from a positive-matter universe enters the anti-matter universe, an equal amount of matter from the anti-matter universe must be transferred to the positive one. This happens when the dimensional veil separating the positive and anti-matter universes is DIRECTLY breached. For lack of a better word, it’s called ‘balancing.’ However, there are ways around that particular ‘law.’ When I entered this universe, my doppelganger in THIS universe wasn’t forcibly ejected after a certain amount of time and sent to my home universe because I didn’t directly go from the positive universe to THIS one. I had a brief stopover, so to speak, in the limbo of Hypertime.” David explained.
“I see,” Diane said. “I think.”
“Actually, it’s a pity the balancing DIDN’T happen,” Alex mused, his eyes still fixed on the screen.
Diane looked to Alex. “And why’s that?”
Alex glanced up from his work, scratching his chin. “Because David, here, is HIS universe’s version of Kal-El.”
“Kal-El?” Diane’s voice echoed her puzzlement.
Alex nodded. “The man who WE know as Ultraman.”
Part 13
David shook his head. “My name isn’t Kal-El, though.”
Alex shrugged. “Maybe not, but it doesn’t matter. Everything else fits.” Holding up a hand, he began counting off fingers. “The scientist father, the doomed planet, the rocket to safety, coming to this planet in your youth, your powers…” Putting his hand down, Alex shrugged. “From what I’ve been able to discover, across the multi-verse those are all hallmarks of the son of Krypton: Kal-El. Not to mention the fact that you’re a dead-ringer for Ultraman.”
Diane glanced to her husband in surprise, her eyes narrowing in thought. “I can’t believe it never occurred to me. Dye the hair black again, shave off the extra years… he’s right, David.”
Titan sat back in his chair, the shock of the revelation rushing through him.
Suddenly, a small voice made itself known from the doorway. “What’s going on?”
“Why does Daddy look like that?” a second voice joined in.
As the three adults looked over, Alex felt his heart skip.
Standing in the doorway, her hands on her hips, Jessica’s smile beamed. Garbed in a red and gold uniform, her waist-length cape likewise edged in gold, the young woman’s pride radiated from her. Next to her, his body draped in dark blue, Christopher nervously fidgeted with the edge of his red cape.
Both children had an inverted lightning bolt on the front of their uniforms; the symbol that had been synonymous with Titan for so many years.
Glancing cautiously over at Titan, Alex was taken aback by the look of abject horror on his face.
“What… are you doing… in those uniforms?” David’s voice escaped as a hoarse whisper.
“We’re going to be like YOU, Daddy,” Christopher said, his smile beaming.
“Yeah,” Jessica added, her own smile matching her brothers. “Mommy helped us with them. She’s been training us on how to use our powers.”
Slowly, Titan shook his head. “Go to your rooms and take them off. Now.”
“But-”
“I said take them off NOW,” David interrupted, his voice dropping lower. “Go up to your rooms, change out of those… THINGS, and come back down here.”
“Wait a minute,” Diane interrupted, stepping forward. Giving her husband a chastising glare, she faced the two youths, a smile lifting her lips. “They look fine on you both. Go into the kitchen and get your lunches, all right?”
As they headed towards the kitchen, Alex caught Christopher’s muttered words to his sister.
“I TOLD you Dad wouldn’t like them.”
Part 14
As Diane opened her mouth to object, David spun around to face her, cutting her off.
“What in the HELL do you think you’re doing?” Jabbing a finger at the door the kids had just departed through, the muscular hero’s eyes blazed with fury. “Making them uniforms, allowing them to get dressed up like that… what were you thinking? Or were you thinking at all?”
Diane’s mouth dropped opened in shock.
“Now, I can see helping them learn how to use their powers,” David continued. “But THAT?” Shaking his head again, David ran his fingers through his hair. “I can’t believe you helped them. I can’t believe you ENCOURAGED them.”
“For your information, I DIDN’T encourage them,” Diane said, her own voice edged with anger. “When those other three heroes came here from the Justice League’s universe, Jessica and Christopher absolutely fell in love with their uniforms. Add to the fact that they had lightning bolts on their chest and, well…” Diane shrugged. “You KNOW how the adolescent mind works.”
“But, still-”
“Let me finish,” Diane said, smoothly interrupting her husband. Taking a deep breath, she let it out in a sigh. “This was bound to happen sooner or later, you know. They spend hours each day, pouring over the old newspaper clippings of us, watching the old films… Jessica practically LIVES down in the archives, David. Their whole lives, all they’ve ever wanted to be was like US when they grew up.”
“Fighting for our lives every day, hoping that THIS wasn’t the day our luck ran out,” David added, his voice turning sad. “Doing everything in our power to make the world a better place for everyone, and being hunted for our troubles. Watching our friends die, one by one.” Waving at the outside world, his voice lowered. “And THAT is the life you want for our children?”
“No,” Diane admitted reluctantly. As David’s face lifted in hope, she placed her hand on his shoulder. “But it IS the life they WANT.”
Part 15
“It’s YOUR choice, David,” Diane said. “You can either support them in this, or you can oppose them. And if you oppose them, you know they’ll just go ahead and do it anyway.”
David’s mouth opened to reply, but he swiftly found that he had no idea what to say. Rubbing a hand across his face, he muttered a few choice curses before heaving a great sigh.
“All right,” David finally said grudgingly. “They can wear the uniforms, but there are some rules they’re going to follow.”
“I’ll let them know,” Diane said. Giving him a quick kiss on the forehead, she trotted into the kitchen.
With a sigh, David shook his head wearily. “I never even had a chance,” he mused. Shaking himself out of his revere, he looked over at Alex. “So, why exactly did you come here looking for me, anyway?”
Slowly, hesitantly, Alex sketched out his intentions to David. After he’d finished, David slowly sat back in his chair.
“Let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Titan asked, his voice level despite his horrific expression. “You want to RELEASE Optimus?”
Alex nodded.
Titan shook his head in sick disbelief. “Alex, are you crazy? You, of ALL people, should know better than to do something as patently STUPID as that! I’m sorry but, as loathe as I am to admit it, I think Ultraman has the right idea in this case. That… THING you and Mordru created is a psychopath, and he needs to STAY locked up in the depths of Ultraman’s arctic Fortress.” Motioning to the outside world, David’s voice lowered slightly. “You DO remember what happened the last time he got out, right?”
Alex absently rubbed his right arm. “All too well.”
Titan leveled an accusing finger at the scientist. “And you got off EASY, with just a broken arm. And WHY, pray tell, did Optimus break your arm?”
Alex sighed. “Because I wouldn’t let him kill Ultraman.”
Titan’s eyebrows rose expectantly. “And these are the actions of an individual in COMPLETE possession of mental stability? NO,” he said, answering his own question. “They’re the actions of a man who cares NOTHING about the potential consequences of his actions.”
“We NEED him, David,” Alex said. “Despite the potential… difficulties, in order for my plan to work we need Optimus on our side.”
“And if he should decide to destroy ANOTHER city in order to get at Ultraman? What then?”
Alex’s face hardened in determination. “Then we deal with him.”
Part 16
“Deal with whom?” Diane’s question preceded her as she entered the room, carrying a tray of sandwiches.
David forced a smile onto his face. “No one, Dear.”
Diane looked at her husband, disbelief clearly evident in her expression. “You know, David, you never DID really learn how to tell a lie very well. So, shall we try this again? WHO are you planning on dealing with?”
With the faint sigh of one who knows what’s about to happen, David cleared his throat.
“Optimus.”
Diane’s body went rigid. “Optimus?”
Alex nodded.
As her gaze traveled from Alex to David, Diane’s expression slowly changed. Gradually, her disbelief melted into barely controlled anxiety.
“Optimus.” Wiping her hands, Diane’s gaze locked onto her husband’s. “And you aren’t REALLY going to help him, are you?” Though her words were formed as a question, her tone made it a statement.
“I hadn’t made up my mind yet,” David confessed. “We were just talking about it, actually.”
“What’s there to talk about?” Spreading her hands, Diane smiled coldly. “That man is a MONSTER. He’s so fixated on killing Ultraman that he’ll do WHATEVER it takes to achieve that goal.” Turning to Alex, Diane slowly shook her head in disappointment. “I thought you were better than that- having to resort to these kinds of desperate measures.”
“This is NOT a desperate measure,” Alex objected.
“Then what would you call it?”
Alex took a deep, calming breath before continuing. “Look, I’ll admit that it isn’t exactly the number one choice I’d like to do. But until someone can give me a better option, it IS the one I’m choosing.”
“And WHY, might I ask, are you intending on releasing him?”
“I’m working on a plan to get rid of the Crime Syndicate,” Alex explained. “And before you ask me what the plan is, I’ll tell you this right now.” Leaning towards the couple, Alex frowned. “Until I’m certain of who’s with me and who’s against me, I’m not saying ANYTHING.”
“And if you want US with you, you’d better be a little more forthcoming with the information,” David countered, taking a bite out of a sandwich.
Part 17
Leaning his elbows on the tabletop, Alex carefully considered his next words.
“I hope you understand my reluctance to be more… open, shall we say, with my intentions.” His eyes shifting back and forth between the two, Alex held his hands open imploringly. “With everything that’s happened in the recent past, I’ve found it necessary to take a few more precautions.”
David nodded as he took another bite of sandwich. “Oh, I understand well enough. But I hope YOU understand that, before I commit myself to aiding you, I need to know what it is that you intend to do.”
Alex sighed, sitting back in his chair. Taking a sip from his glass, he finally shrugged.
“All right. First, let me explain that it won’t be just US,” the scientist said, indicating the three of them. “I’m assembling a task-force for this endeavor. Aside from myself, Optimus and- hopefully- you, I’ve also secured the assistance of both Vigilante and Shiva.”
David’s eyes narrowed. “Aren’t they those two people from Gotham City?”
Alex nodded. “Even though their primary objective is to go after Owlman, since my plans include him in them, they were willing to lend me their assistance.”
David nodded. “All right. Who else?”
“Professor Zoom.”
Diane’s eyes shot open. “Johnny Chambers? I thought he was lost in the Speed-Force?”
Alex shook his head, a satisfied smile on his face. “Not any more.”
David nodded his agreement. “Good. Is that all?”
“I’ve also asked Valkyra to join us as well,” Alex added.
David’s brow dipped down. “Valkyra? You mean that self-proclaimed Norwegian ‘goddess’ that made the news a while ago?”
Alex nodded. “That’s the one.”
“Why?”
Alex shrugged carefully. “I have my reasons.”
Part 18
David shook his head, clearly unsurprised at Alex’s stubbornness. “Cryptic as ever, eh, Alex?”
Luthor merely smiled.
David shook his head in resignation. “All right, Alex. Keep your secrets. But tell me this,” he added, leaning forward in his chair. “WHAT exactly do you have planned?”
Mentally crossing his fingers, Alex briefly outlined his intentions to the couple. As Alex talked, both David’s and Diane’s expressions changed- David’s to one of disbelief, Diane’s to one of grudging admiration.
“I’m afraid you may just have to go with him,” Diane urged David, once Alex had finished. “If for nothing else than to insure Optimus doesn’t get out of hand.”
Both Alex and David exchanged surprised glances.
“You… WANT me to go with him?” David asked in a surprised voice. “What happened to the-”
“Despite the potential problems with his plan of releasing Optimus,” Diane said, cutting off her husband. “His idea DOES have merit.”
Glancing over to his wife, David returned Alex’s smile after a moment. “All right, you win. I’m in.”
Alex’s smile grew wider. “Excellent! Let me get my armor back on, and we’ll get going.”
As the exuberant scientist stood, David placed a hand on his arm, stopping him. “First thing’s first. I have something to show you.”
Following his host out of the room, Alex could scarcely contain his excitement. Things were working out better than he’d originally figured! Not only were his plans on releasing Optimus coming to fruition, but he’d ALSO managed to convince the near-legendary Titan to assist him as well.
Wrapped up in his thoughts as he was, it took quite a few minutes for Alex to realize that they had been walking for a fair distance, and were now traveling down a long staircase into what appeared to be the house’s basement.
“Um, David?” Glancing back up the way they’d just come from, Alex scratched his chin. “Where might we be going?”
Looking over his shoulder, Titan smiled. “My lab.”
Part 19
Hauling open the massive vault door, David ushered Alex ahead of him.
“Welcome to my humble lab, Alex.”
As he entered the vast room, Alex felt his heart begin to race. Surrounding him on all sides was one of the most advanced laboratories he’d ever laid eyes on. Machines hummed, whirred, clicked and beeped in a technological symphony that sent Alex’s blood pounding.
Seeing his guest’s expression, David laughed quietly. “I take it you like?”
Alex nodded, not trusting his mouth to form coherent words.
David motioned his guest deeper into the room. “Feel free to look around. I have a few things I need to check on first.” With that, David gently lifted off the ground, disappearing into the maze of conduits and mechanisms high above.
For the next hour Alex scrutinized every piece of machinery he could find, identifying what he could, hypothesizing about others, and marveling at even more. Occasionally, the scientist would catch a brief glimpse of his host at one computer console twenty feet off the floor, only to dart away to another one fifty feet off the floor. Finally, as Alex was pondering yet another piece of equipment- one that seemed to be half machine, half organic- David unexpectedly dropped down beside him.
“So, now that you’ve had a chance to take a closer look at it, what do you think of my lab?”
“All modesty aside, I can tell how advanced your lab is, simply because I don’t recognize what quite a few of these machines do.” Alex whistled softly as he shook his head. “I could spend a lifetime in here.”
David’s smile grew. “And just think- this is only the UPPER level of my lab.”
Alex’s pulse raced even faster at the news. “How… how many more levels are there?”
“Four more,” David replied, thoroughly enjoying Alex’s shock. “Extending about one hundred and twenty meters straight down.”
Part 20
Alex couldn’t believe he’d heard correctly. “One hundred and twenty meters?”
David nodded once again.
“And ALL of it is laboratory?”
David shrugged sheepishly. “Not ALL of it is. The lowermost level is… my personal level.”
“Personal level?” Alex’s eyebrow twitched upward. “As in trophies and such?”
“You could say that.”
Alex scratched his temple uncomfortably. “Um, if you wouldn’t mind… could I maybe take a look at it?”
David nodded. “I don’t see why not.”
As the two men made their way down through the labyrinthine layers of machines and devices, David pointed out various items here and there, all the while Alex marveled at the advanced level of technology that was displayed. Finally, the two stood before a simple oak door.
“Here we are,” David announced.
Alex was taken aback. “What, this?” Pointing at the door, the scientist’s expression became puzzled. “THIS leads to your inner sanctum?”
David nodded.
“A WOODEN door?”
David smiled knowingly. “You’re wondering about the apparent lack of security, right?”
Now it was Alex’s turn to nod.
“Well don’t be,” David replied. “In order to get this far, you have to go through about a dozen different security measures.”
Part 21
Swinging open the wooden door, David bowed theatrically. “Welcome to the heart of my little world.”
No sooner had he entered than Alex’s eyes widened. “What is THAT?”
Dominating the center of the room stood a dull gray metal ring. Standing on edge, the end nearest the floor was anchored to a base shaped like a half-pyramid. Across the surface of the ring, circuitry was embedded into it, and a solitary cable connected the entire apparatus to a complex-looking computer array.
David’s smile mirrored Alex’s. “That, my friend, is my Hypertime Portal.”
Alex had to force himself to keep breathing. “Your Hypertime Portal? You mean you can actually access Hypertime with it?”
David nodded. “To a limited degree. But yes, I can access Hypertime with it.”
Alex shook his head in a mixture of awe and disbelief. “How… where…”
David’s amused laughter snapped Alex out of his trance.
“The great scientist Alexander Luthor, at a loss for words?” David chuckled. “If your peers could see you now.”
Alex sniffed. “I have no equals. You know that.”
His words, said with such straight-laced sincerity, sent David into fits of laughter, with Alex joining in seconds later.
Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, David motioned to the room around them. “I’ve got to get something, Alex. Go ahead and have a look around.”
As the scientist turned back to the portal, David slowly made his way towards an over-sized display case. Inside, a mannequin was adorned with a coal-black uniform, emblazoned with an inverted lightning bolt. Draped from its shoulders, the rich color of a crimson cape picked up the room’s light.
Standing before the Plexiglas display case, David’s expression turned wistful as he placed a hand against the cool surface. “You know, I once swore I’d never put this thing on again.”
“Then don’t,” Alex replied with a shrug, his attention remaining on the portal. “There’s nothing that says you have to wear it, you know.”
David nodded. “I know. It’s just that…” With a sigh, he ran a hand through his hair. “It just wouldn’t feel… RIGHT, y’know? Doing something like this and not wearing it?”
With an understanding smile, the scientist nodded. “I know what you mean. I wear my armor so often that sometimes I feel naked when I’m not wearing it.”
Part 22
“Daddy?”
The child’s voice interrupted the two men. Turning back towards the doorway, Alex saw Jessica peeking around the corner. Smiling widely, David walked over to his daughter.
“What is it, Jess?”
“Mommy sent me down to get you,” she replied. “Mr. Luthor’s armor is making a funny beeping sound.”
David turned to his guest, an eyebrow arched slightly. “Alex?”
“That’s the signal from my… associate,” Alex explained.
“And what does it mean?”
“It means that, if we’re going to rescue Optimus, we have to leave now.”
***************
The world around them was white- the blinding, glaring whiteness that even closing your eyes couldn’t keep out. A bitter wind whipped across the frigid plain, driving snowflakes before it like icy shrapnel. Amidst all the bleakness, two figures trudged across the snowy expanse; twin bits of color in a sea of white. The howling wind made the larger man’s red cape snap and toss on his shoulders, occasionally slapping up against the other man’s green and purple armor. Clad in a jet-black uniform, the big man walked easily through the harsh weather.
As the two men walked across the snowy glacier, Alex looked over at his companion. “So, whatever happened to the rest of the Justice Legion?” Motioning to the world around them, Alex shrugged. “I mean, I know that you all split up after the final battle. Is there anyone else left?”
For several long minutes, as they continued trekking through the snow, David remained silent. Finally, when Alex was certain he wouldn’t answer, Titan cleared his throat.
“After the battle, we regrouped at our headquarters,” he said in a quiet voice. “Most of us were pretty banged up. Elementalist wanted to go back and finish off the Crime Legion, but we weren’t in any shape to do much else other than pass out.” Shrugging, Titan looked into the distance. “Elementalist WAS always a little hot-headed, actually. It was his idea to go after the Crime Legion en-masse to begin with.”
“Why didn’t you stop him?”
Titan shrugged again. “Because I let myself be convinced it WAS a good idea.”
“What happened then?”
“After Diane and I left the Justice Legion, the remaining members followed suit as well. Elementalist was vowing to re-form the Justice Legion with new members, but… well, you remember how well that turned out.”
Alex nodded grimly. “Yeah. They died on their first outing.”
“Except Elementalist,” Titan added. “I think THAT right there was the beginning of his descent into madness.”
A thought occurred to Alex. “Do you know where he is right now? Maybe we could help him?”
“I know exactly where he is,” Titan replied, his eyes firmly fixed on the horizon. “And no, we can’t help him.”
“How can you be so certain?” Alex asked.
Titan nodded. “I know. Trust me.”
The force of the statement precluded any argument from Alex.
The pair continued to walk in silence for a time, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Alex couldn’t contain himself any longer.
“I’ve just GOT to know,” he blurted out in a rush. “Have you ever used the Hypertime Portal? Does it work?”
A smile slowly returned to David’s lips as he nodded. “Yes, to both your questions.”
Part 23
“How long did it take you to create the portal?”
David scratched his chin in thought. “The portal itself took about half a year to make. The REAL difficulty was in creating the operating systems for it. The programming alone took nearly two years.”
“Why was that?” Alex asked.
“It’s a lot more complicated than just hopping from one dimension to another,” David explained. “You have to also take into account the sheer volume of dimensions that Hypertime encompasses. There are virtually uncountable MILLIONS of dimensional variants in Hypertime, and each of them have their own vibrational patterns that are unique to them. My computer control system scans each one, maps out and stores their vibrational pattern, logs in the coordinates for that dimension, and then moves on to the next.” Shaking his head. David laughed. “It’s all VERY time consuming. My computer has been working non-stop now for nearly three years.”
“How many dimensions does it catalog per day?”
“About… fifty-five,” David replied after a moments thought.
As Alex was about to reply, a soft beeping disrupted his chain of thought. Glancing down at his gauntlet’s readout screen, the scientist found his throat had suddenly gone dry.
“We’re here.”
Standing on the snow-swept mountaintop, overlooking the Arctic plain below, Alex pointed at the plateau in the distance.
“There it is,” he stated.
Following Alex’s gesture, Titan immediately spotted the giant, yellow-gold door seated deep in the side of the massive plateau. An icy overhang shielded the door from being spotted by passing aircraft. Engraved in the face of the door, covering it across its width was Ultraman’s emblem.
“The Lair of the Beast,” Titan muttered. Sparing a glance at the scientist, David snorted. “And YOU want to go in there?”
Slowly, Alex nodded.
Part 24
“Well, if we’re going to do this, let’s get started.” Nodding at the control panel in Alex’s gauntlet, David’s eyebrows rose in a question. “What you’re doing there- is that going to help us get around the various security systems?” David asked.
Entering in several more commands into his gauntlet’s control system, Alex chuckled. “I have a… friend, of sorts, who has provided me with the technical specs of the Fortress.”
David’s eyes widened in surprise. “A ‘friend,’ you say, gave you this information? And you TRUST this person?”
Alex nodded, his attention focused on the readout. “He has a rather intimate knowledge of the systems.”
“And this friend is whom?” David inquired.
Alex glanced over at Titan, his expression serious. “Not unless you’re completely on-board, David.”
Titan waved a hand at their surroundings. “I’m here, aren’t I? Doesn’t that kind of prove my being on-board? What more do you want?”
Alex pointed at the golden door in the distance. “When we BOTH cross that threshold, David- THEN I’ll tell you everything.”
Part 25
“And when we cross the threshold, it’ll be too late for me to back out,” David retorted.
Alex shrugged unapologetically. “Look at it as being just another one of the risks we take by being in this business.”
David glared at Alex. “Yeah, but I’m not IN the business anymore.”
“Then why are you here?”
David glanced away. “Because I can’t say ‘no’ to my wife,” he muttered.
A single tone from Alex’s gauntlet drew the scientist’s attention. “It’s time to go.”
Lifting into the air, the pair set down just outside the massive vault door.
David sighed. “Is it supposed to just open for us?”
Several loud clanking sounds echoed from within the door.
Alex glanced over to his companion, a small smile on his lips. “Well, now that you mention it…”
As the final lock disengaged, Alex found himself holding his breath as the massive vault door opened, its hinges squealing like demons from their disuse. As the light spilled into the revealed entryway, it also illuminated a gaunt, jade-green figure standing just inside.
“Brainiac,” David hissed, stepping back.
Beside him, Alex remained unmoved. “Is everything going according to the plan, Brainiac?”
The green android nodded, with only a slight hesitation. “It is, however, more difficult than I anticipated to exert control over this unit, Alexander Luthor.”
The beginnings of alarm began to creep into Alex’s eyes. “How long until you lose control?”
“Fifteen minutes,” Brainiac replied. “No longer.”
Part 26
“Then we’d better get moving,” Alex said. As he began to move into the facility, he found his way obstructed by Titan.
“You’re telling me that Brainiac is this ‘friend’ of yours?”
Alex nodded. “I understand your hesitation, David, but it’s unwarranted. Not long ago, in an attempt to free himself from Ultraman, Brainiac managed to download a duplicate of his consciousness into a specially prepared unit. This unit has the ability to briefly usurp Ultraman’s control over various Brainiac-units.”
David jerked a thumb at the patiently waiting android. “Like THAT one?”
Alex nodded, glancing at his gauntlet’s clock. “Brainiac was able to temporarily take control of this unit, and use it to deactivate the security systems here.”
“Fourteen minutes, thirty seconds,” Brainiac intoned.
“And what happens when he loses control?” David asked.
“Then all Heaven is going to break loose,” Alex replied.
With only a final, brief pause, David spun on his heel and walked into the Fortress.
As the mismatched trio walked into the lair, Alex forced himself to focus on their objective, rather than on the myriad technological marvels that surrounded them.
>I suppose it’s a good thing that the lights are off, < Alex mused wryly. >Keeps me from getting sidetracked. <
“Brainiac,” David asked. “Why are all the lights off?”
“Knowing Alexander Luthor’s penchant for becoming engrossed in his study of scientific marvels, I deemed it prudent to deactivate the lights,” the android replied.
Part 27
As the three men neared the back of the complex, Brainiac slowed.
“Unfortunately, I cannot accompany you any further,” the jade-hued creature said.
David’s eyes narrowed suspiciously. “And why is that?”
“No Brainiac units are allowed on the detention level,” Brainiac replied. Pointing at a door set into the back wall, the android turned towards Alex. “That elevator will take the two of you to your destination.”
“Were you able to deactivate the electronic locks on his cell as you thought?” Alex asked.
Brainiac nodded. “The only remaining security lock is the physical one inside the vault door.”
Alex smiled innocently at Titan. “And that’s where YOU come into play.”
************
Moments later, deep within the depths of Ultraman’s arctic retreat, Alex and Titan stood before a huge vault door.
Motioning towards it, Alex took a step back. “I believe this is where YOUR expertise is called for.”
Stepping forward, David peered intently at the door, as if taking its measure. Finally, the hero took a deep breath before bracing a foot on the wall as he sank his fingers into the barricade and began pulling.
The vault door didn’t budge.
Redoubling his efforts, Titan continued to pull.
The door remained solid.
Straining to his utmost, Titan threw every last vestige of strength he had into his work, a growl of anger escaping his clenched teeth. Muscles bulging, thin trickles of sweat worked their way down his face as he continued his Herculean task.
Deep within the vault door, a low groaning began.
Alex’s eyes lit up. “It’s giving, Titan!”
With a final roar of fury, David gave one last heave. Metal shrieked in protest as the massive door was ripped from its frame. Shoving the mass of twisted metal to the side, Titan sank back against the wall, breathing heavily.
Moving towards the opening, Alex bit back a startled cry as he came face-to-face with two piercing blue eyes buried beneath a mass of matted, tangled black hair. Where the man’s beard ended and his hair began was virtually impossible to determine.
“W-Who… are… you?” The man’s voice was a guttural croaking sound.
Regaining his composure, Alex stepped forward. “My name is Alexander Luthor. This,” he added, motioning to his swiftly recovering companion. “This is Titan. We’re here to rescue you.”
“Rescue… me.” Slowly, the man spoke, as if trying out the words to see if they fit. “Rescue me?”
Titan nodded. “Right. We’re here to get you out of this place.”
Nodding his agreement, Optimus quickly followed after the two men, heading back towards the elevator. As the car ascended, Titan looked over the disheveled man.
“You look a mess,” Titan said.
Optimus smiled. “Not many mirrors here. And even if there were, I have nothing to shave with.”
Part 28
With a low moan, Optimus sagged back against the wall of the elevator, clutching a hand to his head.
Titan reached over to him. “Are you all right?”
The disheveled man looked back in appreciation. “It’s just a momentary weakness- it’ll pass in a second or two. Since my energy levels dropped to nearly non-existent a few years ago, I’ve been plagued by these spells every now and then.”
“Power levels?” Glancing over to Alex, David’s expression became puzzled. “Doesn’t he get his powers from anti-kryptonite, like Ultraman?”
Alex shook his head. “No. Unlike Ultraman, Optimus receives his powers from the solar radiation of a yellow sun.”
Titan slowly nodded. “I remember now.”
“Once we get him into the sunlight, his powers will come back,” Alex explained.
No sooner had the scientist said those words than the elevator came to a stop. As the doors opened, Brainiac patiently waited just outside them.
“Five minutes, thirty-seven seconds until control is lost.”
Putting Optimus’s arm across his shoulder, Alex hustled past the android. “Thanks for the update, Brainiac.”
Seconds later, standing on the lip of the ledge, Optimus spread his arms wide, leaning his head back as he basked in the sunlight.
“After SO long,” he murmured. “You have NO idea how good this feels.”
“How long until you’ve regained your strength?” Alex asked.
“It’s going to take a little while,” Optimus replied. “My energy levels have dropped so low-”
“Much as I’d like to let you continue this conversation, gentlemen,” David said, glancing uneasily at the horizon. “I suggest we remove ourselves from the premises before some rather unwelcome guests arrive.”
“Like whom?” Optimus asked.
David pointed at the horizon. “Them.”
Far in the distance, the setting sun’s last rays of light glinted off several figures that flew swiftly through the air.
“Ultrabots,” David muttered. “Five of them, coming up fast.”
“Then let’s get going,” Alex said, putting Optimus’s arm across his shoulders once more. “Optimus can continue recharging as we fly.”
“Remember our agreement, Alexander Luthor,” Brainiac called after the departing trio. “I will expect you to uphold your end of the bargain.”
Part 29
Several hours later, the three men neared Titan’s hidden home.
“All right,” Titan said. “Once we get back to my house, that’s it- I am officially DONE with you both. Understand?” As they nodded in unison, Titan’s eyes flashed crimson briefly. “And I don’t EVER want to see either of you two back here again.”
Reluctantly, Alex nodded again.
“Why are you so adamant about remaining outside the rest of the world?” Optimus asked, the wind whipping his long hair about his face. “With your powers, there’s so much good that you could do for-”
“I’ve BEEN that rout before, Optimus,” Titan interrupted. “All it got me in the end was a bunch of dead friends.”
“I understand that,” Optimus replied. “But what I’m saying is that-”
“Is that smoke?”
Alex’s question cut through the conversation like a laser. Each man turned his attention in the direction Alex indicated.
As they neared the mountain range, Optimus frowned. Next to him, Titan’s face slowly paled.
“I don’t know,” Optimus said. “It DOES look like it, though. Could it be a forest fire?”
“Well, we’ll know soon enough,” Alex replied softly.
Cresting the mountains, Optimus gasped in horror. “Oh, sweet Creator!”
“NO!” Titan’s horrified bellow rang from the mountain peaks around them.
The house was gone. In its place, a smoldering crater belched thick black smoke into the sky. Scattered pieces of debris still burned in places, making the ground appear as if it were covered in orange fireflies.
In the field that once fronted the house, giant letters had been burned into the ground, coal-black against green:
‘WELCOME BACK, TITAN!’
Part 30
Kneeling in the still-smoking remains of what was once his house, tears coursed down Titan’s cheeks, drawing tracks in the ashes that clung to his face.
Alex slowly walked through the rubble in shock, his mind a blank. Beside him, Optimus slowly shook his head, his face a mask of grief. As Optimus’s head suddenly jerked upright, Titan launched himself across the burned surface, heading towards the far corner of what had once been the house.
Alex glanced over at Optimus. “Why’d Titan take off like that?”
“He heard something.” Meeting Alex’s gaze, Optimus’s face brightened slightly. “He heard someone call ‘Daddy.’”
A short distance away, Titan knelt on the ground. Gently clearing off the rubble, Titan felt his breath freeze in his lungs.
Beneath the final piece, her battered face covered in a mask of blood, Jessica lay motionless.
“J-Jess?”
One eye flickered open. “D-Dad?”
Titan held a finger to her lips. “Shh. Don’t try to speak, Honey. I’ll have you out of here in a second.”
“I… tried, Daddy,” Jessica sobbed, her words barely intelligible. “I tried… to buy Mo… Mommy some time… to get away… with C-Christopher. He… he hurt Chris SO bad, Daddy. I did… my… best.” Shaking her head as best she could, fresh tears welled up in her swollen eyes. “B-But he… was so… strong.”
“WHO was so strong, baby?” David asked in a gentle voice. Deep inside, though, the hero already knew.
Jessica’s answer confirmed it.
“Ultraman.”
Fighting to keep calm, David finished clearing the debris off his daughter. His eyes peered into her body, seeking out any internal damages that had been inflicted by the attack. When he was satisfied her injuries weren’t life-threatening, he gently cradled her in his arms.
“Jessica, where’d your Mom and Christopher go?”
The young woman pointed a trembling hand at the deep crater. “Into your lab.”
“But… but the lab’s gone,” David whispered in horror.
“I know,” Jessica whimpered, burying her face in her father’s chest.
Part 31
“I… I’m sorry,” Alex whispered.
“Damn you, Alexander Luthor,” Titan rasped, his voice a ragged shadow of itself. “Damn you, and damn your little war.” His voice grew softer. “And damn ME for believing in you.”
“He didn’t do this, David,” Optimus insisted. “It was the-”
“I KNOW DAMN WELL WHO IT WAS!” Titan’s roar nearly deafened Alex. Standing to his feet, his fists clenched in the air before him, Titan’s lips curled into a snarl. “Alex might not have killed my family, but he sure as HELL assisted the Syndicate in discovering where I was!”
“I don’t see how,” Alex objected. “I took EVERY precaution-”
Titan’s harsh, ragged laugh cut Alex off. “With the history between you and the Crime Syndicate, did you HONESTLY think that Ultraman wasn’t keeping tabs on you? Did you think that he wouldn’t become curious when you up and vanished off his sensors when you entered the masking field around my home? Not to mention the fact that you sent TEN of your probes here! Did you think he wouldn’t wonder WHY you did that?” Advancing on the scientist, Titan’s hand shot out, grabbing Alex by the front of his armor.
“You brought the Crime Syndicate to my doorstep, you bastard,” Titan hissed menacingly. “And MY FAMILY paid the price for your stupidity!”
“Put him down, Titan,” Optimus warned. “Now.”
Holding Alex in his grasp for several more seconds, Titan suddenly released his grip, dropping the scientist back onto his feet.
Sweeping the semi-unconscious form of his daughter up into his arms, Titan glared murderously at Alex.
“I made an oath to my wife that I’d help you carry out your plan.” Titan’s voice was all the more chilling by its complete lack of emotion. “I want you to know this simple fact- the ONLY reason you’re still alive is because of that oath.” Shaking his head slowly, his eyes fixed on Alex, Titan blinked away the tears from his eyes. “All I wanted to do was to live out the rest of my life, with my family, AWAY from the outside world. Now, thanks to you, my life is all but destroyed.” Glancing down at the still form in his arms, Titan drew a deep breath.
“I’m going to take Jessica somewhere safe- somewhere away from everything and everyone. Someplace where she can heal in peace.” As Titan glanced back up at Alex, the scientist felt his heart skip a beat from the tightly controlled fury he saw in the other man’s eyes.
“If I were you, Alex, I’d start saying my prayers; after this is all over, you and I are going to have a nice, long… talk.”
Alex, his eyes forlorn, held a hand out to Titan. “I… I never meant…”
David’s eyes hardened. “You better pray your plan works, Alex. You had better PRAY that the Crime Syndicate pays for all they’ve done. Because if they don’t?” David shook his head. “You can be certain SOMEONE will pay for this.”
Optimus stepped forward, his own eyes steel-hard. “Alex meant well, Titan, and you KNOW that. I owe that man my freedom. I will NOT allow-”
“And if you get in my way, Optimus,” Titan smoothly interrupted. “I’ll deal with YOU as well. You think it was Hell being locked away in that cell for all those years?” David shook his head, his eyes wild with grief. “You have NO idea what Hell truly is.”
Lifting into the air, the elder hero cast one final glare at Alex before rocketing away.
EPILOGUE
ULTRAMAN’S FLYING FORTRESS
Leaning back in his chair, Ultraman stared in undisguised admiration at his newest acquisition.
Suspended in an anti-gravitational field, the dull gray portal hovered motionless, the room’s lights playing off its etched surface.
Entering the room, beer can in hand, Power Ring belched appreciatively as he caught sight of the device. “New toy, Boss? Looks nice.”
Ultraman grunted absently, his eyes never leaving the machine.
“What’s it do?”
“It’s a Hypertime Portal,” Ultraman murmured. “And it’s mine.”
Finishing off the can of beer, Power Ring casually tossed it away, only to have it dutifully whisked away before it even hit the ground by one of Ultraman’s ever-present Brainiac drones.
“Um, Boss?” Scratching the back of his head, Joseph fidgeted nervously. “You ARE aware that Luthor and some guy in black broke Optimus out of his cell?” Jerking a thumb back the way he’d just come, Power Ring shrugged. “The Ultrabots just reported in a few seconds ago. They said the place was trashed.”
“I know.”
“Well, aren’t you… I don’t know, concerned?”
Ultraman shook his head. “No, Optimus is one person who I’m NOT concerned with.”
“Why’s that?”
“Optimus has a VERY strong opinion of what’s right and wrong,” Ultraman explained. “At least, a strong opinion of what’s right and wrong to HIS understanding. It doesn’t matter what Luthor’s plan is- eventually, Optimus will begin to feel that it’s not progressing fast enough for his tastes and he’ll begin to chafe under Luthor’s restrictions. He’ll grow more and more dissatisfied with the situation, gradually alienating himself from the other group members until he finally gets fed up enough and simply leaves.” Ultraman shrugged once more. “After that, he’ll be easy enough to deal with.”
Nodding in agreement, Power Ring glanced away, only to return his attention to the device Ultraman was intently studying.
“Hey, waitaminute! Hypertime?” Pointing towards the portal, Joseph’s face split into a smile. “That thing can get you into all them parallel universes and stuff?”
Ultraman nodded again.
“So how’s it work?”
The Tyrant of Centropolis’s face finally showed a glimmer of emotion: anger.
“I don’t know,” he grudgingly admitted. “That old bitch destroyed the control console before grabbing her brat son and diving into the opened portal.”
“She escaped?”
Ultraman’s head jerked in a harsh nod.
“Bummer.” Rubbing his chin, Power Ring smirked faintly. “So, if she destroyed the console before she escaped, then how are you going to get it to work?”
Slowly, like a glacier shifting, Ultraman turned his head to look at Power Ring.
Taking the hint, Power Ring beat a hasty retreat.
Returning his attention to the portal, Ultraman snorted. “I can recreate the control console,” he muttered. “After all, how difficult could it be?”
