The Chronicles of The Trinity on Earth-10: Part One - Superman

Chapter Five: Brainiac Attacks... Again

Daily Planet Newsroom | Metropolis, New York
Saturday, June 2, 2018 | 09:52 EDT

Well, Lois and I had to come in on a weekend because there's a breaking development in our story. But just as we really get into it, I get an urgent transmission from the Watchtower which is recalling every member of the League, and calling the entire senior staff to the conference room.

I find Lois and tell her, "Babe, I gotta go."

"Why?" she asks. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," I reply honestly, "but I just got a call marked urgent from the Watchtower, and I need to be there, yesterday. Whatever's going on, the entire League's been called to handle it, so do you think you could handle this story, just until I get back?"

"Yeah, go ahead. Just don't get killed, 'kay?"

"You got it," I say, kissing her on her forehead, the tip of her nose, and then her lips, and then walking in the direction of a supply closet. "I'll be back as soon as I can!"

"Alright, babe. Be safe!"

But I'm already too far away for her to hear my response. When I'm in the closet, I use my speed to make a quick-strip into my uniform, and I open the window and fly straight up to the Watchtower.

Conference Room | The Watchtower, Earth's Orbit
Saturday, June 2, 2018 | 10:15 EDT

It appears that I'm one of the first to answer the call. Already in this room before me are Bruce, Diana, and Barry, and walking in just after me are Kara, Hal, the Hawks, Cay'Tar and Shayera Hol, Patrick O'Brian, the Plastic Man, the Green Arrow, Oliver Queen and the Black Canary, Dinah Lance, J'onn, Billy, Victor, King Arthur and Queen Mera, and Jefferson Pierce, the Black Lightning.

When we're all in, Billy says, "Alright, Bats. We know you called us all in here, but what we don't know is what for. So, what's up?"

A stoic-faced Bruce points to Diana.

"Well, the first order of business is to congratulate our very own Kal-El on his engagement to Lois," says the Amazonian Princess.

And everyone cheers as I smile, and they say stuff like "It's about damn time", and "Took him long enough", and "Way to go Clark", and "When's the date?"

Well, this is what you get when you keep your friends in constant suspense about your love life.

"But..." says Diana, trying to quiet down the conversations to get to the issue at hand, "we can celebrate later, as we have more pressing matters to attend to. Bruce?"

"We have a problem," he says. "Our long-range satellites have detected activity a few thousand miles out from Mars. Scans of the area indicate that there is an armada of heavily armed warships on a path whose trajectory tracks straight to Earth. And all the warships had one common factor: This symbol..."

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And I instantly get pissed off, as I recognize that reviled symbol all too well. "Brainiac..." Kara and I snarl, my hands curling up into very tight fists.

The Crazed Coluan, Brainiac was responsible for shrinking and kidnapping the entire capital city of Krypton, Kandor, which caused the chain reaction that destabilized our core, which caused the planet to blow up. Kara, Karen, Kon-El, Krypto, my dog, Streaky, Kara's cat, the Kandorians, and I are the only Kryptonians left in existence because of what Brainiac did. But Brainiac still has Kandor.

I want Brainiac. And I want him bad.

"Alright, so what's the plan, and when do we blow him straight to hell?" asks Kara.