Connor Kent in the Revival of Krypton

Chapter 1

A cloaked figure surrounded by a blue sphere of energy descended through the churning crimson clouds of Apocalypse.

Apocalypse is a planet formed from obsidian rock with four thermal holes in it that spewed fire from the planet's core. It is ruled by a being named Darkseid.

Darkseid came into power by destroying the old gods that ruled this sector of space.

The cloaked figure stared down at the city that covered the planet. They could see human -looking slaves working strange machines, or performing maintenance on the large buildings that made up the city.

Dust shot up from the ground as the orb touchdown in an alleyway and faded away. The cloaked figure tensed and looked from side to side. They relaxed once they saw that they were alone.

I'm kinda disappointed, they thought, I expected Darkseid to have more security.

Shaking their head, they stepped out of the alleyway. Wind swept through the city blowing the hood of their cloak from their shoulders, revealing a face covered by an iron mask. The hood floated back up of its own accord and covered the mask.

The figure joined with the crowd milling through the city. Now that they were closer they could see that there were more than just slaves in the city.

People in fine clothes rode horses through the streets and soldiers in black tights and gray armor patrolled each alleyway.

The soldiers really need work if they didn't notice me enter the city, the figure thought.

The figure weaved through the crowd and made their way towards the castle with the needle pointed towers.

They were a foot away from the front doors when a roar rent the air.

People scrambled to get out of the way as a Para Demon, a hideous creature with brown skin stretched taut across its massive frame dove down from the sky. Its massive bat wings pointed straight up to gather more speed. Its jaws jutted forward in a snarl and drool dripped from its jagged teeth.

So much for not being seen, the cloaked figure thought. They raised a leather gloved hand and the Para Demon froze surrounded by a light blue aura. With a flick of the wrist, the cloaked figure sent the para demon flying through the castle wall.

The cloaked figure floated off the ground and through the hole in the wall. They found themselves in Darkseid's throne room.

It was a massive square room with no floor. A bridge in the center of the room led to the throne. They floated down onto the bridge.

The moment they touched down fire erupted on either side of the bridge. The cloaked figure surrounded themselves in a pale blue light and walked forward. They stopped before Darkseid with their hands behind their back.

Darkseid was an imposing figure with gray skin the texture of rock. Blue shoulder pads adorned his massive frame along with matching gloves and boots. A red jewel in the center of his chest glinted in the fire light.

Darkseid's red eyes narrowed. "You have a lot of nerve entering my home," he growled, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't obliterate you where you stand."

"I know you plan to take over the earth. I would like to help you in that endeavor."

Darkseid laughed. When he composed himself he asked, "Why would I need your help?"

"Because I have something you do not."

"What's that?"

"In-depth knowledge of every super-powered being on earth."

Darkside leaned back in his throne and interlocked his fingers, "I'm listening."

CK

Moonlight shone through a large window, bathing violet sheets in a pale glow and outlining the occupant of the bed in shadow. A cell phone sounded from a bedside table, causing the occupant of the room to grown. They groped for the phone, knocking over a glass of water. They sat up their hand brushing the square lampshade as they flipped it on.

A dim light filled the room illuminating the interior. A large queen-size bed sat in the center of the room. A square lamp with a white square lampshade set on a bedside table.

To the right of the bed was a large window that looked out over Gotham city.

Connor picked up the phone and flipped it open, "Hello?"

"Connor you need to get to Baker Street fast, we found something interesting."

"I'm on my way," Connor replied with a sigh.

Connor threw off the sheets and swung his feet out of bed, the plush white carpet squelched as his feet hit the floor. What a way to, he paused and looked at the clock on his phone. It read five thirty in the morning, start the morning, he thought.

With a sigh, he used a quick blast of heat vision to dry the carpet. He stood up allowing the rest of the bed sheets to fall away, revealing a lean broad shouldered body packed with thick muscle.

He walked around the bed and stared out his large window at the city sprawled below him. It had been five years since he defeated Brainiac.

After defeating Brainiac he moved back in with his parents and tried to resume a normal life, but the trust he and his parents enjoyed when he was younger was broken, so he moved out when he turned eighteen, came to Gotham, and went to college. He graduated college with honors and began working for the government.

It wasn't a very glamorous job. He just investigated strange occurrences in the city, but it allowed him to be places without an explanation, so he got to help people while keeping an eye on the government to make sure they didn't move against his parents.

I can't really blame them for not trusting me anymore, he thought to himself, I mean I did erase their memories. But you did it for their own good, a voice in his head said.

What right do I have to decide what's good and what's not for people. He shook his head. Oh great, I'm starting to argue with myself.

That's not crazy at all, he thought with a bemused smile.

He moved over to one of the two dressers sitting on either side of a large screen TV at the foot of his bed and set about getting dressed.

Thirty minutes later the sky had turned a pale violet and a strip of gold on the horizon announced the beginning of sunrise.

Connor straightened his trench-coat then walked into the bathroom connected to the bedroom, his black leather shoes echoed loudly on the tile floor. He stayed in there just long enough to slick back his short black hair then left the bedroom.

He stepped into the kitchen/living room. Predawn light shined through the large windows that took up one wall of the living room, stretched across his black leather sofa and reflected off the shiny utensils hanging in his kitchen.

He strode purposefully to the apartment door. He stopped by an umbrella stand and grabbed a katana. He used the straps attached to the sheath to secure to his leg then adjusted his trench-coat to make sure it was hidden.

You know, he thought, I really need to have Hephaestus make me more than just this sword, he shook his head, but the man is still angry with me for destroying the armor he made me. You would think the weapons master of the gods would understand the phrase collateral damage.

He sighed and opened the door. He glanced around to make sure he was alone then disappeared in a burst of speed.

CK

At 441 Baker St., Daniel Snoozer, a tall chubby middle-aged man with a receding hairline, stood over a hulking creature with brown skin and bat wings that lay just in front of an apartment building with his hands tucked in his pockets.

Men in blue police uniforms set up cones and redirected traffic, so the public wouldn't see the creature.

I knew there were some strange things out there, Daniel thought, but I never thought I would see one of them in person. He shook his head, better I should see it than someone else. The last thing we need is the public panicking.

He pulled out his notepad and turned his attention to a petite brown eyed woman with blond hair, "You say you hit this creature with your car?"

The woman shifted from foot to foot and tightened her grip on her white leather purse. "Yes, I was coming home from my job at a diner a street over when this thing," she gestured with a shaky hand at the creature," climbed up out of the sewer."

She looked at Daniel with watery brown eyes, "I tried to stop I really did, but the brakes on my car aren't that good and I don't have the money to get them fixed."

Daniel laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, "It's all right, it was an accident. You did nothing wrong." It's not like we could charge you with anything anyway, he thought, this thing isn't even human.

The woman relaxed slightly at his words, and Daniel took that as his queue to continue, "Now Miss?"

"Dumont, Veronica Dumont."

"Dumont," Daniel continued, "what happened after you hit the creature?"

Veronica began to shake, "It stared at me with these glowing red eyes then slid off my car and fell to the ground. After that I ran to the nearest pay phone and called you guys."

Daniel opened his mouth to ask her why she didn't drive to the nearest pay phone, but a sharp pain in his stomach made him cry out.

Veronica screamed and Daniel looked down to see four clawed fingers protruding from his stomach. Twenty-two years on the force at Gotham PD and I get put down by some otherworldly creature, Daniel thought sliding off the claws and slumping to the ground.

With a roar, the creature bounded up, grabbed the screaming Veronica by the neck and tore her head from her shoulders.

Blood spewed from her ragged stump of a neck, running down her clothes and splattering her car.

The other police officers realized that the creature was still alive and began firing their weapons, but they might as well have been throwing paper balls at it for all the good it did. In the blink of an eye, screams filled the air and Baker street ran red with blood.

CK

Connor's eyes widened when he arrived at Baker Street. Ragged body parts and entrails littered the street. Rivulets of blood ran into the storm drains and puddled in the streets like some hellish rain. What in the heck happened here? He wondered.

Suddenly, a roar rent the air, reverberating off the buildings and causing windows to shake in their frames.

Connor looked up to see a great hulking creature with brown skin stretched taut across its massive frame and it's great bat wings pointed straight up as it dived down from the sky with blood still dribbling from its jagged teeth.

The neo-man of steel jumped back as the creature slammed into the ground, the pavement cracked and dust shot into the air.

Connor gazed at the carnage around him. This is all my fault, he thought, if I would've just gotten here sooner maybe I could've saved these people.

Connor's eyes locked onto Daniel Snoozer's severed head. His knuckles whitened as his fist clenched.

Daniel Snoozer had been one of the few people to welcome him when he started working with Gotham PD on strange and unexplained cases. Everyone else avoided him like the plague.

They thought he was a nut, but Daniel took him under his wing and showed him how to investigate the unexplained cases without losing his credibility. He didn't care that Connor work for the government, all he cared about was making the world safe for people.

The world would be a little bit more darker without Daniel Snoozer in it.

Connor shook his head. I'm sorry Daniel, he thought, I'm sorry I wasn't here when you needed me, his eyes narrowed, but I promise the creature that did this to you will pay.

A roar brought Connor out of his thoughts.

The creature launched itself forward with its arms outstretched ready to tear Connor to shreds with razor-sharp claws. The golden armor that covered its chest, arms, and legs glinted in the morning light.

Connor smiled and caught the creature by one of its outstretched arms. He reared back his fist and drove it into the creature's face. There was a sickening crack as its head spun around backwards. Its body went limp and it dangled from Connors outstretched arm.

Connor stared at the creature with dispassionate eyes. I really don't like killing people, he thought, it makes me feel like a monster, but if I have to become a monster to protect the ones I care about from creatures like you. I will buckle down and walk straight into the fires of the underworld with a smile on my face.

Connor reached into his shirt pocket, pulled out his cell phone, and flipped it open, "Hey," he said when the person on the other and picked up, "can you meet me? Alright, I'll see you there."