Clark

As I finished talking to Lois about the quote Pa used to tell me I started to hear screams and car alarms all around the Daily Planet. I excused myself from the interview and flew outside to get a look at the cause of the commotion. There was a gigantic robot crashing, step-by-step, through the streets of Metropolis. It reminded me of the one we found in that warehouse, but whereas that one looked like a generic robot. This looked exactly like a Rock-Em Sock-Em Robot.

“Hello, Superman. I am The Toyman and today we are going to play a little game. You ever played Rock-Em Sock-Em Robots? You know the rules and you know the players” the robot said.

“I don’t want to hurt you, give up now. You’re hurting a lot of people.”

“Ha ha ha ha, Why would I give up when I got a friend paying me big bucks to Rock and Sock you, Small Blue.” He said giggling the whole time which took my attention away from the fist hurtled right at me.

That fist hurt. I went flying uncontrollably through several buildings unable to slow myself. I was able to snag a water pipe sticking out the ground in the third building I crashed into. Using the pipe, I flung myself back towards the robot.

“This ends now. ” I said to the man as I let out a blast of heat vision. I was stunned to see robot absorb the energy that came from heat blast. That energy was transferred into a fist that I dodged but missed an uppercut by the other fist. I remembered seeing a cockpit in the other robot towards the center of the chest. So, I threw all my weight against it only powering it up even further.

“I wasn’t really planning to use these but since you had to target me personally.” He blasted an energy blast out of his eyes. I did not remember that from the original toys.

The energy blast that hit me, hit me hard. I was dazed, no one had ever hit that hard. I used my x-ray vision on the robot and could see conduits leading to all parts of the suit. That’s how he was transferring the kinetic energy. However, all of the tubes flowed into the center of the robot. I tried to see where they were at, but the center was not visible to me.

Something was blocking my vision, but for now I just had to worry that no energy conductors were near the jaw. I suddenly remembered the goal of the toys is to pop each other’s head’s off. I decided to I
needed to play the game and knock his block off. “Alright, Toyman. Time to end this.”

I flew forward, weaving past fists and eye blasts, I made it to the robot’s jaw. I pulled back my arm and released a punch into the robot’s jaw. The head popped clean off.

“Till next time.” The robot started to go dark, and all of the parts came apart, the panel used for the chest happened to be made from lead. Good one to know, I can’t see through lead.

As I continued checking through the rubble, I saw microscopic remains of Lexcorp parts. Lex had been slandering me ever since I got to Metropolis. He was trying desperately to convince people I was a threat and that I was a danger to anything other than his fear mongering. I did the interview Lois because I wanted on the record how open I was out helping the people of Metropolis.

I flew to Lexcorp and waited outside of Lex’s window. Lex had his back turned and was on the phone. He yelled something like you listen here and the other person on the line mentioned how they were done playing for now. After that, Lex slammed the phone down and saw me in front of his window.

“Sorry I already have a window washer.” He said opening the window via the control from his desk. He was definitely shocked I was there but trying hard to be smug.

I floated silently in place with my arms crossed and staring right at Lex.

“Nothing you heard will stand up in court” he shouted at me, “I own this city. Everyone uses my products, and everyone wants them. ½ or more of the city works for me in one capacity or another. The other just don’t know yet that they are mine.”

As I stayed quiet, his voice continually got louder until he was screaming himself hoarse. “YOUR ALIEN SCUM! THAT WILL NEVER CHANGE!” He grabbed a trophy for desk and threw it at me, “SAY SOMETHING!!”

I caught the trophy he had thrown at me. It was Metropolis’ Most Generous Man Award. I crushed it to dust in my hands and said, “I’ll be watching you.” Then, I flew away.

The next day as I walked the street to the Planet, I saw people staring into the sky. A guy bumped into the same lady I had bumped on my first day. I watched anxiously for her to erupt on him as she had done to me. He hurriedly helped her pick up her stuff and offered hundreds of apologies. Then, she surprised me and said, “Don’t worry about it. We all look up at the sky. We wonder was that a bird, was that a plane or was that Superman?”.

I smiled as I continued walking to the Daily Planet. Metropolis was a better place now than it had been when I arrived. It was all I wanted. That and one other thing, or person I might say I had always dreamed about. She was waiting outside the Planet when I got there with coffee for the both of us.

“Smallville, there is something I need to say. ” She said taking a sip of her coffee and handing mine to me. “It’s something I was able to tell Jimmy and heck I even accidentally told Superman. But never you. Smallville I…Clark. Clark, I like you. I like you a lot. You can be a clumsy dork sometimes, but you’re my clumsy dork. We’ve been to dinner as work partners, but I would like you to take me on a real date as two people in a relationship.”

I pushed my glasses up my nose and said, “Oh gee, Lois. That’s really swell. I like you a lot too. ”

“Swell, Clark? Oh boy don’t make me regret this. Also, I won’t go easy on you now because I told you I feel about you and don’t go easy on me. We both have to work hard for our stories, no matter what.”

“Of course, Lois. I’d never dream of standing in your way, but you are kinda blocking the entrance.”

She laughed and grabbed my arm as we headed into the Daily Planet for another day of work. I knew I needed to learn more about this Toyman character, and I had to keep an eye on Lex, but for that moment I was happy. I could feel Pa patting me on the back, letting me know I had done it. I found my purpose and I wasn’t going to let it go for anything.