34 3.6

7:13 PM, 18th April, 1989.

Location: Metropolis, Toyman's lair.

Superman hung midair, arms crossed with a faint smile on his face. "What are you doing here, I thought you worked in France?" He asked with a grin. "And while I know Miss Lane beside you, your colleague is new to me."

"I call myself Black Lightning." He answered for himself. "I live in this city too."

"Oh? Well it is a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to seeing more of you in the future. Metropolis can never have too many defending it from malice, natural disaster and accident." Kal El offered gracefully avoiding a possible slight.

Black Lightning looked at the slain robots and then Parasite's coffin/cage. "Certainly."

"So I see you both had a bit of a scrap with Toyman's minions." He paused, likely x-raying Parasite. "But that seems like excessive restraints on this being."

"It most certainly is not!" Black Lightning responded.

I nodded. Even Lois gave a tacit agreement. "He absorbs energy and can steal powers. I suspect for brief periods… but for a time he was nearly as strong as Chemo and far faster, with the ability to transform into electricity he stole from our new acquaintance."

Kal El's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes, he's even absorbing ambient energy. Physical attacks from a distance work best, stay out of touch if you can. He probably kills with sufficient contact. We beat him by overloading his absorption ability, he started to break apart." I explained. "You probably have better options, however. I would guess his greatest weakness would be hitting him with extreme cold at range to keep him starved until he was subdued."

"Of course. Cold is a decrease in energy and should be impossible for this creature to absorb." Black Lightning frowned. "However if this is an ability owned by a person, I suppose he could steal it like he did mine, through touch."

"Good point." I nodded.

Kal El's eyes narrowed as he understood my hint to use his freeze breath at range if he was forced to fight Parasite. Face to face confrontations with that monster were playing to Parasite's strengths.

"We caught who I believe to be Toyman, since he was wearing this ridiculous mask and sandwiched between two separate robot armies in the same building." I added. "Miss Lane has been following since the start, when both of us began tailing some criminals… who blasted Mr Lightning's home in mistake, thinking it was where you lived."

Kal El's face turned to concern and he looked at Black Lightning with guilt. "I'm dreadfully sorry, was anyone hurt? If you need help, I can help with the repairs."

"Nothing was damaged a bit of plaster and some new windows can't fix. My kids were in their rooms when it happened." He replied, genuinely at a loss. "In fact, I think I'll see how they are doing now this is all wrapped up."

"Of course. Please, if you need help or even just to talk at any time: call my name and I'll be there as soon as I can." Kal El replied. He paused to fly away in a blur before returning a few seconds later. "Sorry, a boy fell out of a tree. I caught him."

"No wonder we've never met. You seem rushed off your feet." Black Lightning responded.

"Nature of response times, you and I are fast but Superman can sense the people in danger from much further away. He just doesn't usually have much warning in emergency cases." I explained as Superman nodded.

"Accidents or sudden acts of violence are almost impossible to avert unless I can see them." Kal El explained. "For example, since it sounded like my French friend had the situation under control I was free to aid when a bridge began to collapse. So my thanks for that, I don't know how long this being would take for me to defeat alone. Perhaps far too long."

"Well, this is my good bye. Drop in at my home anytime, Bubbleboy. See you around, Superman." He smiled before transforming into a flash of lightning and piggybacking off the power lines to head home.

"I think he's more a community focused type than city-wide like you. But he seems like a resource and a nice guy, to boot." I commented. "I'd poach him for France, if I wasn't certain he had some really deep roots in this city."

"So, any chance you'll let me out of this bubble now buster?" Lois asked.

"Sure. Just stay away from Parasite. I'm not entirely sure that thing can hold him. If his power is longer lasting or works through surfaces he touches, you could be hurt or drained if you get too close." I suggested.

"Okay, okay. Just put me on the ground already." She growled.

Gently I did so.

"You know, you are an enigma. I just don't get you, kid. Everything you say and do screams out to me as strange. You don't act your age, at all." I chuckled as Lois commented. Absolutely correct. "But you're a good kid. Name needs work. But good, none the less."

"Is this about the whole Bubbleboy, Metal Storm thing? It's frankly exhausting being in the middle of it. At this point, I'd settle for being called my real name. It isn't as if people don't know who I am or that I'm hiding it." I retorted.

"Good point. Magnus, it has a nicer ring. Latin for greatness, I believe?" She smiled, pleased. Oh, she was going to run with this as a side-story wasn't she?

"It has personal meaning, the name of a personal hero… and I despise my family name." I explained.

"As you explained in your press conference, your father is abusive, right?" She asked.

"Yes. I suppose you heard about the UN barring me from my home country, because Daddy is afraid I'm going to kill him? He's right to be scared, after killing off the entirety of my close family with the exception of my little aunt in a plane crash… which I'm sure he staged. It may even look genuine. After all, powers can run in families… you know?" I grinned. Time to screw with Dad some more. "It isn't hard to make accidents happen when you own the power to disorientate people." I smiled coldly. "Please, just make sure to relay this message to him. If I hear of an accident, illness or a damned scrape befalling my infant aunt, I will fly down to my Father and personally let him experience a plane crash, without the plane. As many times as required."

I looked at Kal, who raised his hands to ward me off. "Don't get me involved in this. It sounds like quite a thorny issue if it involves international politics. Just don't fly off the handle and do something stupid."

"No, but that threat should give her at least long enough to reach her coronation. I'm sure Dad will slowly forget my warning or prepare for me, so that he can knock her off before she gains power… but it gives me time to train and prepare as well." I smiled. "Politically or otherwise."

"How is the crown princess your aunt, anyway?" Lois asked.

"My mother was the daughter of the Queen, by a different father. She remarried to the King after the death of my Grandfather. She originally married young like my mother. I suppose my father saw the King's stepdaughter as a stepping stone toward the throne, since the royal couple were childless for many years." I shrugged. "Royal lines are weirdly complicated. At least I'm not obviously inbred as far as I can tell, apart from those cousins a few generations back."

"Well, that was convoluted. And a glimpse of how cold blooded your father appears to be, from your perspective." She held up her hands as I growled. "Objectivity, I'm just trying to show objectivity."

"My scars from his beating when I was a six year old would agree with my position." I retorted.

Kal El looked. I knew, because he flinched. I look like a former convict from the sixteen hundreds who received the lash several times, from behind.

The police finally began to arrive.

"Anyway, I'll be in town for another day or two. I'm on a bit of a whirlwind tour of the States. If you need me, you can reach me at the Hotel Concourse, room 601 Miss Lane. Or just flying around making a nuisance of myself, Superman." I glanced at the struggling Parasite, who seemed to finally be awake.

I hovered closer. "As for you. Stop squirming, or I'll take away a few of those breathing holes. You hear me in there?!"

"Yesh!" A frantic Parasite finally responded.

"Good. Behave, or next time I won't be so forgiving." I smiled coldly, peering in the holes. "I'll simply bury or drown you into submission. Understand?" I looked at the cowering Toyman. "You too if you piss me off."

"Please, protect me from this maniac, Superman!" Toyman howled.

"Oh, he already is. I'm only being so light handed because he's here. Do remember it." I chortled.

"Definitely not a Bubbleboy." Lois remarked under her breath.