Metropolis

Chaos had been unleashed in the city of Metropolis.

No, I don't think I wanted to use that as the lead in my story. Something with more... punch, I guess. Although I wasn't quite sure what. My name is Lois Lane and when I'm faced with a world-shattering event, what helps me keep my nerves steady is how I'll write it up the minute I get to a computer.

My photographer and one of my best friends, Jimmy Olsen, sat beside me in the Daily Planet's helicopter. He leaned as far out the window as his seatbelt would allow him to, snapping photographs with his camera of the devastation beneath us. For the past few days, the planet had gone mad, attempting to wipe out mankind. And why? Because an eco-terrorist and a B-list supervillain told it to.

Metropolis was lucky the first time the earthquakes hit. They weren't as damaging as they could have been. But now, they were back and it seemed like Mother Nature wanted to make up for lost time. The city streets cracked in half and cars were flung from the roads. Buildings began to topple.

Reserve members of the Justice League moved through the city, trying to do what they could in order to hold off the damage. I noticed Steel was among them. He hadn't been very active as of late, but something like this would bring any hero out of retirement. Right now, though, every citizen of Metropolis probably had one question on their mind—where was Superman?

I know Superman personally. I'm married to him, so I think I'm qualified to say I know him better than anyone else. And at that moment, I knew he was attempting to stop this catastrophe by going to an elemental creature called the Swamp Thing. The question wasn't whether or not he could succeed, because I knew he would. He never fails. The question was how much longer it would be before he would succeed.

I wish there was some way I could reach him, to talk to him. I hated this waiting and wondering. It's enough to drive a woman insane. Since being with Clark, I've learned to understand and appreciate what the wives of cops, firemen and soldiers had to go through. But when your husband is not only a superhero but an icon, that makes for even more pressure. Everyone on the planet was under the impression that there was nothing Superman couldn't do. Hell, even I felt that way sometimes. The way he carries himself when he wears that costume, always calm and collected and able to fight off the forces of destruction with a smirk—well, it's no wonder people had that impression of him.

The question I often asked myself was, can it really be true? Is there really nothing Superman can't handle? Or does even the Man of Steel have his limits? It's a question I don't think I'd ever find an answer to, and truth be told, I don't really think I'd want to find the answer.

The Green

The Green is the connection between everything on the planet. The creature with the memories of Alec Holland had come to the Green often for its serene peace. Superman hovered beside the Swamp Thing, his eyes taking in all the sights before him. The Swamp Thing knew there was something wrong with the Green. It had been desecrated, he could feel it. And he knew where the source of it was.

The Swamp Thing moved forward and Superman followed after him. The unlikely duo moved through what seemed like endless space. In the Green, everything was connected. It all flowed into the Earth, was the source of all life on it. For something to corrupt it as the Swamp Thing had feared was disastrous. Not only for mankind, but for the planet as a whole.

"There is...something different...something wrong."

"What?" asked Superman.

"The Green's endless majesty...has a focal point...a center."

There was never a need for the Green to have such a thing in the past. It was simply limitless, without boundaries. But now, it all led to one point, one center. A massive throne of moss and flowers where a humanoid creature made of bark with grass for hair sat upon it.

"I see you've arrived," it said. The thing had a name. It was Jason Woodrue, the Floronic Man. One whom both Superman and the Swamp Thing had both encountered in the past. The Floronic Man rested his chin in his hand and smiled at the pair. "Have you come to witness the end of mankind and my own ascension?"

"What ascension?" asked the Swamp Thing.

"The Green has repaired me, made me whole once more," said the Floronic Man. "In return for showing it how to remove the cancer called man. And now, I've taken my place. The Green has chosen me to have dominion over it, to remake this world as I see fit. And I envision a world where man has no place."

"You're double-crossing al Ghul," said Superman.

"He won't be around to protest," said the Floronic Man. "He thought he'd use me as his pawn, but now I've evolved. I'm one with the Green. I am the Earth and everything. I'm what the Swamp Thing once was, before he relinquished it. Speaking of which..."

With a gesture, the Swamp Thing's body began to collapse, crumbling to the ground. He didn't even have a chance to speak as the Green swallowed him whole. Superman reached his hand out, trying to pull his ally free, but it was a futile effort. The Last Son of Krypton turned his gaze to the Floronic Man.

"What did you do to him?"

"He's part of the Green and therefore, he's under my control as well," said the Floronic Man. "Don't worry, he's still alive, he's just become one with the Green once again. Can't have any individual consciousnesses in here. That's what led to the destruction wrought by mankind."

"You're not going to win," said Superman, hovering closer to the throne.

"I've already won," said the Floronic Man. "I've been selected by the Green."

"No, you manipulated the Green," said Superman. "There's no choice here, Woodrue. You're nothing more than a man who's had a small taste of power and been corrupted by it."

"A small taste?" The Floronic Man laughed. "This is not simply a 'small taste'—my power is limitless! Not even you could stand up to me! You're the self-styled defender of this planet, yet you let it rot from the inside out. The Earth is fed up with you, Superman. I'm its new guardian and I'll fight to the death to protect it!"

Vines shot out from the ground and wrapped themselves around Superman's leg, pulling him towards the ground. He turned his gaze to the vines and his eyes glowed a bright red. The vines exploded with a cry that sounded like one of pain and Superman pulled them from his body. He turned his crimson gaze to the Floronic Man and a massive oak tree rose up between the two.

Superman's eyes began to burn through it, and his powerful hands tore the bark away, bit by bit. He reached his hands inside the small hole he made and tore the tree in half. Behind it, however, the Floronic Man was gone. Superman heard laughter and turned around. The laughter came from his left, then his right, then behind him once again. It was all around him.

"Don't you understand, Superman?" came Woodrue's voice. "I'm everywhere! There's nothing you can do to stop me! Mankind's been marked for extinction, just like the dinosaurs before them. Their bodies will return here to the Green and a beautiful new world can rise on the ashes of the old. You can't do anything to stop me, so why bother trying?"

"No," said Superman. "There's always a way."

He dove deeper into the Green, flying as fast as he could. His heat vision was active the entire time, burning a hole through the Green. He knew there had to be a way to stop the Floronic Man from achieving the godhood he start and even if he had to tear the Green apart to reach Woodrue, he would.

Ra's al Ghul shed the clothes in his body. Ubu took them from him and folded them neatly, setting them down on the stone ground. The Demon's Head slowly took a step into the liquid that composed the Lazarus Pit. His servant simply watched as the master waded inside the liquid.

"Soon, Eden will be reborn and I will be here to see its recreation," said Ra's al Ghul. "I've waited my entire life for this moment, and I intend to be around to witness the fruits of my labor. Leave now, Ubu."

Ubu nodded and turned away. Now alone, Ra's al Ghul immersed himself completely in the Lazarus Pit. As always, the pain was incredible. It seared at him, felt like his skin was dripping off his bones bit by bit. He wanted to give voice to his suffering, yet he held his tongue. He would not scream, he refused.

When he emerged from the Lazarus Pit, he would be wild, untamed. Like a crazed animal. But that would pass. And when it did, Ra's al Ghul would be reborn once again. Except this time, he would be reborn in his new world.

Metropolis

The helicopter entered a tailspin and if not for our seatbelts, we would've been tossed around the cab like a pair of dice in the hands of a gambler. It came out of nowhere, seemingly without any cause.

"Where the hell did you learn to fly?" I cried out over the sound of the chopper's blades.

"It's not me, lady!" said the pilot, screaming back at me. "Something's messin' with the instruments! I can't explain it, I've never seen anything like it!"

"Oh shit!" said Jimmy.

"What is—"

I looked out the window. For the first time in my life, me, Lois Lane, was completely speechless. I knew what Jimmy was referring to. Massive vines exploded from the ground, wrapping themselves around the buildings, strangling the city in their solid grip. Constructions of steel and concrete fell apart beneath the weight.

Jimmy's words were an understatement. "Oh shit" didn't even begin to describe what was happening. Our tailspin continued and we fell into a freefall. We landed hard in one of the massive vines, stuck in that huge, gigantic tree.

"We've gotta get out of here," I said. I unbuckled my seatbelt, but Jimmy laid a hand on my shoulder.

"Lois wait, what if something else happens?"

"You saw how those vines crushed the buildings, you gonna wait around for them to do that to us?" I asked. Jimmy had no response, but before I could make another move, the ground began to shake. Another earthquake had struck at the moment and the helicopter and the vines which held it still shook violently. I fell hard against the cab door and then the unthinkable happened—the latch broke.

Jimmy reached his hand out and grabbed mine, trying to pull me back inside the chopper. But when another quake came, he couldn't keep his grip and my hand slipped from his. He cried out my name and I saw the look of fear on his face as I fell from several thousand feet in the air.

I'd been in this situation before. Many times, in fact. Falling from great heights seemed to become sort of an occupational hazard for me. But in every situation, Clark was there to rescue me. He would swoop down in that blue and red costume and he'd take me in his strong arms and he'd smile and tell me everything was okay. I closed my eyes as I fell and I thought of that. I thought of Clark and I thought back over my life. I realized how lucky I'd been to live a life like mine. I had no regrets.

And so I didn't scream.

The Green

There was one thing Superman had realized about the Green. About nature itself. It had no morality, it only cared for self-preservation. Nature had turned against mankind because Woodrue and Ra's al Ghul had convinced it that humanity posed a threat to it. That meant it was time to show the Green that they weren't. He stopped and hovered in the middle of the vast expanse of the Green.

"I know you can hear me, and I know you can understand what I'm saying," he said. "You've been tricked into believing that mankind poses a threat to you. But listen to me—the Floronic Man has lied. Mankind can't pose a threat to you, because mankind is a part of you. Flesh is an element just as important as earth, air, fire or water.

"We're a part of you, just as you're a part of us. If you turn against us, then you turn against yourself. We work together—we provide you with our carbon and you provide us with your oxygen. Our bodies and wastes fertilize your ground and you give us food. The Floronic Man is wrong. Without the flesh, you will die just as surely as we will.

"You're angry, I understand that. We haven't treated you as well as we should. But still, we try. We're not perfect, and neither are you. We need each other and you know it."

Superman hovered there for what seemed like endless hours. Reality suddenly began to warp around him and the grounds shifted. He found himself back in Louisiana, hovering above the bayou. The ground rose up and the Swamp Thing formed before his eyes. Also formed on the ground was the bark and moss figure called the Floronic Man. His eyes opened and he stood and looked at the two.

"No!" he exclaimed. "No! It's not possible! The Green and I were one! We were one!"

"Just like humanity and the Green are one," said Superman. "You can't destroy one without destroying the other. You lied to it, made it think mankind was something different. But without mankind, the Green can't survive. Everything is connected, Jason. That's something you should have realized."

Vines shot up from the ground and ensnared the Floronic Man's body. His eyes grew wide in shock and fear and he looked at both the Swamp thing and Superman. "What's happening?

"The Green...would like a word with you."

The Floronic Man screamed as the vines pulled him beneath the ground and into the Earth. The Swamp Thing looked at Superman, who appeared slightly disturbed by this event.

"He's not dead... The Green will simply...teach him a lesson...about the connections."

"I wanted to thank you for your help," said Superman.

"That...is unnecessary..."

Superman nodded to the Swamp Thing and flew into the skies. As he passed over the east coast of the United States, he could see that the tides had returned to normal and the earthquakes had come to a close. He smiled to himself as he pushed forward, towards Metropolis. It was all over, and soon he would be in the arms of his wife.

When he reached Metropolis, however, he discovered a shocking truth. He saw Lois Lane on the ground, being tended to by paramedics. He didn't need x-ray vision or superhuman hearing to tell him that her heart wasn't beating. He could see it in her face. That zest, that spark for life which was always present in her, even when she slept, was now gone.

NEXT: In Memorium