London, England

London Bridge is falling down
Falling down, falling down
London Bridge is falling down
My fair lady

The children’s nursery rhyme was based upon an incident in 1013 when King Ethelred had London Bridge burned in order to divide the forces of the invading Danes. Since that period, London Bridge has fallen numerous times over the years.

Constructed over the River Thames, the Bridge had once more fulfilled the prophecy of the children’s song by falling again. This time, the result was that of the earthquakes which rocked London and Southwark.

The vibrations forced many cars on the bridge to swerve uncontrollably. Pedestrians lost their footing and scrambled to gain some sort of composure as they were thrown about. Some of them were tossed from the bridge into the river itself, where they had to contend with the waves caused by the earthquakes.

Many tried to race across the bridge as fast as they could. Several cars at each end attempted to turn around, resulting in auto collisions, which only served to delay evacuation attempts and cause more chaos.

Beneath the Thames ran London Underground train rails. Tubes which, at that moment, had been cracked by the increased seismic activity. Water from the Thames leaked in, slowly at first, but the cracks grew in intensity and the barrier between the Thames and the railway burst.

A streak of blue, red and yellow flew into the tunnel from one end. The Man of Steel grasped the chunks of the tunnel and moved at the speed of light to cobble together a temporary repair of it. His eyes glowed a bright red and the beams of concentrated heat served to affix them together.

Just as soon as he entered the tunnel, he was gone again. He out of the station and scrambled towards London Bridge. A train that ran across the bridge derailed and fell towards the Thames. Superman caught the train as if it weighed nothing. Held in his powerful grip, he hefted it back onto the track.

He flew beneath the bridge and saw where it had begun to break apart. Effortlessly, he held the bridge together and prevented it from falling, acting as a pillar for it. He used his heat vision to sear the damaged areas together.

From London Bridge, he flew across the Thames to Southwark Cathedral. The earthquakes had caused the Cathedral to deteriorate and cracks became evident. The steeple of the Cathedral fell from the top and flipped in the air. The point of the steeple fell first towards a group of bystanders. Superman flew in and grabbed the steeple before it had a chance to come close to harming them. Buttresses fell and he moved to collect those as well, depositing them on the ground.

Cheers erupted from the crowd of people gathered on the streets of Southwark and London, but the Last Son of Krypton would not even allow himself a moment to appreciate it. He flew towards Westminister moments before the Great Clock of Westminister fell from Big Ben Tower. He pushed ahead faster, but was unfortunately not fast enough to reach it before it crashed to the ground. With the destruction of the clock, time had figuratively stopped in Westminister.

Metropolis

"You can’t proceed, ma’am."

I know I’m not a patient woman. I know I’m stubborn. You don’t get to become one of the top reporters in not only Metropolis, but the country, by taking no for an answer. And if this rent-a-cop at S.T.A.R. had entertained any thoughts to the contrary, he was about to find out just what happens when you take on Lois Lane.

"I want to see Emil Hamilton and I want to see him now," I said.

"I don’t care how many front-page stories you’ve written lady, it doesn’t give you clearance," he said.

Jimmy Olsen stood by my side with a digital camera in his hands. Perry sent us out to S.T.A.R. Labs to speak with Dr. Hamilton about the source of the natural disasters that had swept across the Americas and were now ravaging Europe. Only problem was this asshole with a badge blocked our path.

"Freedom of information, pal—the public has a right to know what’s happening!" I said.

"The public will know when the time is right and we’re not gonna let you vultures spread panic," he said.

"Look, we know Professor Hamilton," said Jimmy. "If you just—"

"I don’t recall anyone speaking to you, junior."

"Watch your mouth," I said.

"You gonna stop me, lady?" he asked.

"Don’t tempt me, asshole," I replied.

"That’s quite enough!"

The voice belonged to an older man with gray hair, a beard, and thick glasses over his blue eyes. His left arm was gone, replaced by a cybernetic prosthetic arm. Clark, Jimmy and I have known Emil Hamilton for many years and he’s become someone Superman trusts as a confidant.

"Ms. Lane and Mr. Olsen are more than welcome here," said Emil. "Let them through."

"You heard the doctor." I flashed the guard a smug grin as he stepped aside. He glared at me while Jimmy and I walked past him and I could hear him muttering swears under his breath. I could feel his eyes on my back until Emil closed the door to his labs behind us.

"I don’t think you have to guess why we’re here," I said.

"No, I don’t," said Emil. "S.T.A.R. Labs has been doing everything in its power to try to determine the source of this catastrophe. So far, we haven’t had much luck."

I glanced to a large computer monitor and saw the image of a green, humanoid alien staring back at me with a distinctive brow and a blue cape. I smiled at the image and he smiled back. Next to his father, J’onn J’onzz was one of the men Clark trusted above all others. He was also one who knew Clark and Superman were the same person.

"I see we’re not the only ones looking in on your progress," I said.

Emil noticed my gaze was fixed on J’onn’s image on the monitor. "No, you’re not. The Martian Manhunter and the JLA have requested that I keep them updated on any and all information I uncover."

"And what would that be?" asked Jimmy.

J’onn finally spoke up. { "Precious little as of now. We have JLA operatives, both past and present, working their best to contain the chaos and aid relief crews in the Americas and Europe. Superman has pulled ahead of the others, attempting to prevent many catastrophes before they happen, but even he cannot be everywhere at once." }

"Bet that’s driving him crazy…" muttered Jimmy. Up to that point, I tried to keep those thoughts out of my mind, but I knew Jimmy was right. Ever since I’ve known him (and probably long before, too), Clark has felt the need to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders. How he’s able to do it is something I could never fully grasp. If I were him, I would’ve gone crazy years ago.

"It gets worse," said Emil.

"What do you mean, ‘worse’?" I asked. "Define ‘worse.’"

Emil sat at a different monitor and with a few keystrokes, a map of the world came up. The American continents and most of Western Europe were colored red with the rest of the continents colored green.

"It’s spreading," said Emil. "We’re looking at the beginnings of a worldwide natural disaster. It started somewhere in the Americas and since then, it’s moved in an eastward direction. At the rate we’re going, it could spread over the entire globe in a matter of days, possibly sooner."

"Anyone else see The Day After Tomorrow?" asked Jimmy.

"Funny you should mention that, because it seems to be what’s happening," said Emil.

"But isn’t that impossible?" I asked.

{ "It is. We know of no technology that could cause this damage on such a massive scale." }

"Which means either we’re looking at someone new, with an incredible amount of power…" Emil’s voice trailed off.

"I could sense an ‘or’ in that statement, Emil," I said.

"Or this is a natural event," said Emil. "My best bet is that it’s a combination of natural and supernatural elements."

{ "With that said, the Watchtower has picked up odd readings in the arctic, specifically the North Pole." }

The North Pole. The location of Clark’s Fortress of Solitude. Could that have something to do with this in some way? Even with everything Clark’s learned about his heritage over the years, there’s still a lot about Kryptonian technology he doesn’t understand. Could the Fortress have somehow triggered something that caused this?

Paris, France

The Eiffel Tower was next to be struck by the tremors. Storms raged and the winds picked up, battering the structure endlessly. Gale force winds slammed into the Tower repeatedly, and people tried to evacuate as quickly as possible.

Paul Natale was an exchange student from Pittsburgh who came to Paris with a study abroad program. He took the day off to visit the sites in Paris, especially the Eiffel Tower. Unfortunately for him, he chose the wrong day.

The Tower rocked back and forth and Paul clutched the rail, trying hard to hold on for dear life. He stumbled and fell over the edge, but his hand remained tight on the rail. His digital camera fell from his fingers and he watched in horror as the winds took it away.

Paul tried to lift himself up, but he struggled. The winds picked up once more and his grip loosened. He screamed as he fell, positive that now was his time to make peace with his creator. He closed his eyes and thought back to his Catholic upbringing, hoping it would somehow spare him.

Some believe that prayer is a waste of time, that speaking to God will accomplish nothing. But on that day, Paul Natale’s prayer was answered. Strong arms scooped him from the sky and carried him through the air. He opened his eyes and saw nothing but the sculpted chest beneath a red and yellow ‘S’ emblazoned on blue spandex.

When Paul’s feet touched the ground, Superman looked down at him with crystal blue eyes and told him to run for cover. Paul did as he was told, but still watched as his savior took off again. Superman was a blur of blue and red, moving about the Eiffel Tower. Wherever it had snapped, he was there a moment later and when he flew to a different spot, Paul could see the spot where the metal had broken was now reattached and it glowed brightly.

"Clark."

J'onn's telepathic voice rang inside Superman's head. He opened his mind to his friend and teammate so the Martian Manhunter could speak with him while Superman continued his task.

"Please tell me you have good news, J'onn."

"Let me share my thoughts with you."

J'onn's knowledge of the current crisis raced across his mind's eye. Superman absorbed the knowledge gained from Professor Hamilton, the knowledge that the current crisis seemed to be a combination of natural and supernatural elements. But as Superman quickly discovered, the cause of it didn't seem to be technological. At least no technology they had ever encountered. It seemed to be a phenomenon of nature.

"There's more. The Watchtower has picked up some strange activity in the North Pole."

"The North Pole? J'onn, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"If you mean the possibility that this catastrophe could somehow be Kryptonian in origin, then yes, I am. But nothing is for certain. I think what would be best would be for you to travel north."

"You can't expect me to abandon these people, not at a time like this."

"Not to sound callous Clark, but you have no choice. You can save many lives now, this is true. But ultimately, more lives will be saved if we can put a stop to this. And if this is Kryptonian, you are the expert on all things of that nature, being her last son. So you should be the one to investigate. Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel are already en route to Europe to pick up the slack."

"I'll keep you posted."

J'onn's voice faded from Superman's mind and he pushed forward. He shifted direction and moving at the speed of light, raced towards the North Pole. The Fortress of Solitude was located there, the last remnant of his home planet of Krypton. If this was Kryptonian in origin, he wondered who could have caused it. The Eradicator, perhaps? General Zod? Luthor? No one in this line of work seemed to stay dead for very long, which made the possibilities almost limitless.

For conventional transportation, going from Europe to the North Pole would take hours. For Superman, he could make the trip in moments. His crimson boots touched down on the snow and his crystal eyes scanned over the area. The Fortress wasn't far from here and he imagined that was where he could find his answers. Before he took another step, however, his hearing picked up the sound of additional footsteps in the snow.

"I must admit, I am impressed to see you here."

Superman turned and folded his arms across his chest. An older man with black hair that was gray at the temples stood there. He was dresed in a suit with a Mandarin collar and a cape was draped over his shoulders. He rested on a cane. His facial hair consisted of two small growths on the sides of his chin. A large man stood behind him.

"Ra's al Ghul," said Superman.

"You remember me," said Ra's al Ghul. "I'm flattered, Hero. I was expecting the Detective, but not you."

"I heard you were dead."

"Yes well, the rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. A necessary evil. I needed time to prepare."

"Then I take it you're behind this," said Superman.

"In a way, I am," said Ra's al Ghul. "I did have some assistance, however. But more than anything else, this is the beginning of the end for humanity. We are looking at the early stages of a new world, Hero. A world untouched by man. A pure world. Mankind is a virus which must be eradicated."

"No," said Superman.

"Do you really believe you can stop this?" asked Ra's al Ghul?

"Ra's, as long as I breathe, you will not harm these people," replied Superman.

"Bold words," said Ra's al Ghul. "But you are mistaken. You see Hero, it is not I who poses a threat to these people. But rather, the planet itself you have adopted as your own."

"What?"

A grin spread across Ra's al Ghul's face. One that could send chills down the spines of even the fearless. "Earth has turned against her abusive tenants. She needed some incentive, however—encouragement, if you will. Encouragement provided by one who can communicate with the Earth directly. Have you ever heard of Jason Woodrue?"

"The Floronic Man..."

"Precisely. However, he simply provided a push in the right direction. What you are seeing, the natural disasters sweeping the globe, they are all the result of mankind's treatment of his planet. Mother Nature has finally taken a stand. And now is the time for man to make peace with his creator."

The ground started to rumble and quake. Superman noticed the water level was beginning to rise and with his vision, he could see that the ice was melting at a rapid rate. Wherever the Floronic Man was, he had certainly seen to it that the Earth would take out mankind as efficiently as possible.

"Soon, a new Eden shall rise," said Ra's al Ghul. "The age of man has come to an end."