2012-08-13 - Krypto a No-Go

STAR Labs, late at night. They just brought in a dangerous criminal over that had been apprehended a few weeks ago by Solarflare and Starfire while robbing the First National Bank of Metropolis - Killer Frost. Why is Killer Frost being brought to Star Labs? In the wake of all the new examples of mutants, STAR Labs has started work on ways for law enforcement to defend themselves. Seeing that there's a similarity between mutants and metahumans, they decided to do the tests on Killer Frost. Killer Frost agreed because of a possible reduction in her sentence at Belle Reve - possibly to a psychiatric institution even.

What they don't know is that Killer Frost's accomplice (and maybe more) the criminal known as Tar Pit, has heard of this and had decided to give his partner in crime and love an even better reduction in sentence, as in breaking out. Being Metropolis, he brought in another partner specially suited to deal with any possible Kryptonians who might try to stop him.

Kryptonite man looks at Tar Pit, "So, after we break out your 'honey' if ya don't mind, I'm going to help myself to some of that technology that STAR Labs has. A fellow could get seriously rich with even a few of their gadgets." Tar Pit grumbles, "Whatever." then silences as he sees the specially fortified truck pull up with Killer Frost in it.

Kon's a mile away, but the mention of STAR Labs gets Conner Kent's attention, even as he shops for new clothes. He stops in the midst of the mall, filtering sound to hear the rest. He frowns a bit, and turns, walking out of the store empty handed and trying to get out of the noisy mall. A quick look shows him the security cameras, and, just as important, a blind spot on one of the service hallway entrances, which he ducks into, knowing the footage isn't going to be looked at by anyone unless there's a crime incident. Once out of sight of the crowds, he blurs with speed, out of the back of the mall and with a hop, up on the roof, where it's easier to filter and eavesdrop. STAR Labs comes up hundreds of times in the average Metropolis day, and even talk of steeling the gadgets comes out of a dozen innocent mouths a day.

As Superboy eavesdrops, the Science Police are in specially designed heat dampening suits - because unlike other ice-based criminals, Killer Frost's powers are not generating ice from nothing, but from absorbing heat from others - it's why she associates with fire-based criminals so often. It's also how she got her moniker of Killer Frost, sometimes sucking all the heat out of a person to kill them by freezing them solid from the inside out. One of the Science Police officers brings Frost out. She's double handcuffed and in some special containment unit. She doesn't look pleased at all. "It's okay... as we have all heat-registering signatures currently at lowest levels, and the unit she's in should be enough to suppress her ability to pull out heat. Just no one decide to light a cigarette or something. Bad for your health especially here." Some of the scientists chuckle a little at that.

MEanwhile, it seems like part of the street is 'flowing?' towards the truck. The next thing Superboy hears is sounds of "FIRE!" and "She's out!" and screams.

It takes only an instant for Conner to change, having taken up Clark's thing of wearing the suit under his normal clothes, though figuring out what to do with the cape had taken some practice. He launches from the roof, leaping in the direction to get some early acceleration before the flight kicks in, cape whipping up a storm behind him as he tears through the air, both hands stretched out in front of him, generating as small of a wind profile as he can manage. Soon as he's airborne, he's hitting the X-rays, not putting the effort needed to see through the steel supports of the buildings along the way, just trying to get a look through the skeletal structures at the scene beyond.

A lot of STAR Labs lower levels are lead lined, for various reasons. One - because there's a lot of radioactive material at STAR Labs. Another was Superman's own request that he not always be able to know what they come up with to try to stop him (or other Kryptonians) if he went out of control. Not to mention Professor Hamilton has been getting a growing distrust of Superman over the years, despite that he once considered the Man of Steel to be the Earth's saviour.

It doesn't matter though - the real action is out in the fortified lot area, which is currently a war zone. Killer Frost has broken free of her restraints thanks to Tar Pit starting up a bunch of fires and blowing up the transport truck. The two of them are doing a good job of terrorizing both the STAR Lab scientists and trying to kill the Science Police, despite their special weapons and armor.

Superman strikes, going for Tarpit first, wrapping the villain in a telekinetic field the moment he strikes so that he doesn't leave any bits behind as he separates the lovebirds. There isn't even any warning for the pair, the sonic boom not hitting until after the tackle. An instant after impact, during which Superman's already carried the villain over a hundred feet, he releases the field, letting inertia do the rest as he kills his own, stopping on a particularly long dime as the sonic boom hits. "So, if you volunteered at a soup kitchen, how long would it take you to start trying to kill people?" he wonders. "Time off for good behavior, ever hear of it?" he asks Killer Frost, the sentence punctuated by Tar Pit landing.

Tar Pit is hit and, because of the field, doesn't just go flying apart and doesn't have Kon go 'into' or 'through' him. Someone's been reading up on the Oracle files on people like Clayface and Tar Pit? Tar Pit crashes into the ground, splashing into it more like. Killer Frost stops freezing up one of the Science Police that she was attacking. "Actually this wasnt even my idea. Tar Pit missed his ice princess. Oh... and about 12 seconds." She then fires a stream of ice at Superman.

Kon-el dodges to the side, leaving the stream of ice to shoot past him. "How does that even work?" he wonders. "Actually," he says, landing and blurring with speed. "Don't answer that, better off not knowing."

Killer Frost goes "Crap!" as Tar Pit tries putting himself back together slowly. She rushes over to the Science Police she was about to kill and forms an ice dagger to his throat. "You know, when that orange alien tried superspeed, he wound up almost killing that firefighter. Think you can do better big blue? HUH?!" she calls, looking around, trying to anticipate where he's going to attack from.

Kon-el lands, his hands up as he slowly steps forward. "Now, Ms. Lincoln, there's no reason to hurt these gentleman any further," he says, concentrating as his field starts to snake out along the floor, and, at a moment's inspiration, starts to wrap the Science Policeperson in the same field that keeps the superhero safe from threats such as ice-knives. Sure, it's going to lock him completely in place in the process, but...

Frost smirks as he comes close. "Of course there's a reason. I want to do it. And the name's Killer Frost!" As soon as you take a step forward, she suddenly stabs the knife at the Science Police's throat, like she did with that firefighter at the bank heist. This time, though, there's a lot of surprise as the ice dagger breaks against his skin. Surprise from Killer Frost. Heck... surprise from the Science Police officer, who didnt think he was invulnerable. Though he is for the time being, thanks to Kon's Tactile Telekinesis.

And again, Killer Frost goes "CRAP!" and fires ice daggers at Kon! With the 'invulnerable' Science Police officer safe for the moment, Conner charges, dropping the field as he breaks from the floor after a couple steps, the daggers, simply bouncing off his own field as he punches at the woman.

Frost doesn't have time to do more than put up an ice shield, though it doesn't help against a punch from Kon, causing her to go flying backwards and get knocked out. Of course, at that point, Kon is hit by an incredibly powerful blast of green energy which sends HIM flying forward. Not to mention causing him to get nauseously sick. Kryptonite Man steps out from Star Labs, wielding something on his arm. "Look what I got from STAR Labs. Power Amplifier. Looks like I'm gonna get to kill Superman and become a legend." He looks around at that point, and sees an unconscious Killer Frost, and no sign of Tar Pit. "I go shopping for a second and look what happens. Time to die, Man of Steel!" he says as he heads towards Kon-El, aiming his device on his hand again.

Kon takes a knee, fighting off the sudden wave of nausea as his Kryptonian DNA screams in terror. The blast hurt a good bit on it's own too. The threat gets him thinking on something other than the somersaults his stomach is doing, though, and he tries the same trick twice, except this time the field's grabbing the villain, locking just a single foot in place as he steps in for the dramatic kill. Yep, he's trying to trip the villain to give him time to recover. Normally it takes a bit for Kryptonite to do this too him, that amplifier's something. Above, through all the other noise, utterly human hearing can just barely hear a news helicopter, here to capture the breaking news.

It's hard for Kon to concentrate though at first. Even though the amplified Kryptonite isnt hampering his TTK, it's still doing a number on his Kryptonian half, making it difficult to concentrate at first. Kryptonite Man stands over "Superman" as he aims the amplifier at him. "No lead to wrap me up with, one more shot and you're dead. Any final words? No.... Good."

Overhead, a news reporter reports as they watch helplessly from up above. "This is Carmen Diangelo reporting... as... as Superman is battling several supervillains. And it seems like Kryptonite Man has him down. Oh God, should we be filming this? Where are the Police? Oh yeah... they're encased in ice...." She watches the melee below as Kryptonite Man fires a final, lethal blast.... Lethal for a Kryptonian at this close range with that amplifier...

Too nauseous to properly concentrate, Conner's attempt to trip the villain quite likely felt like stepping on a sticky theater floor. Superman's still doubled over, on one knee with both hands planted on the ground as the shot's delivered. As the searing light fades, he's still in that position, looking utterly defeated.

A hand snatches up, gripping the device and locking any moving parts with his TTK. Kon-el of Cadmus Labs, the half-Kryptonian son of Lex Luthor and Kal-el of Krypton, rises to his feet, and stares Kryptonite Man in the eyes as, with human speed but inhuman strength, he grabs him by the throat, lifting him off the ground. "Stop. That," he says firmly, his nausea adding a hard edge to the words. Then, an old flair for the dramatic coming back, along with an echo something Tim once explained about Batman's operating procedures, he starts to levitate.

Kryptonite Man's Power amplifier gets 'crushed' and falls to pieces as the TTK locks up all the moving parts. He stares in disbelief as Kon grips his throat, with an 'urk' coming from him, right after he says "How?..." And off the ground he goes.

In the helicopter, the reporter says, "Are you filming this? Keep filming! Omigod, somehow, Superman has been able to overcome the Kryptonite Man's assault! This is amazing!"

"The rules have changed," Superman says, not choking him out, but gripping him rather firmly, only loosening the grip once the amplifier crumbles, but not enough to let him drop. He gains altitude. He's not getting the height he can with the Kryptonian powers, not this close the villain, but he still manages to hover a good 15 feet above the ground. "You take anything else I'm going to have to confiscate, or is it time for us to go inside and find a lead room I can weld shut?"

Kryptonite Man still tries to release Kon's grip on his throat. "Cmon guys, attack hi- aw crap they left me behind didnt they?" No success on getting free, he grumbles. "You can't trust other supervillains these days." he says to Superman. "How did you do it? How are you even conscious rightn ow? How are you even holding onto me?"

"Did you really think that the new heroes were the only thing to change?" Kon-el asks after only a moment's hesitation, the nausea making his face stern and hard as he tries to avoid dry heaving. "Things are different now. Now, unless you have something to share, I think we're going back inside and finding a nice lead box for you." He waves to the copter with one hand and, turning gracefully, he drifts through the open doors to STAR labs, Kryptonite Man in tow.

He protests as you take him into Star Labs to put him in a nice lead containment unit. "It's not fair! You should have been killed from that! You should have been..." he says as he's brought inside as the news camera cuts back to DeAngelo. "Well there you have it. Superman seems to have gained some sort of immunity to Kryptonite! I guess Metropolis's enemies will have even more to worry about now. We're going to see if we can get an interview with the Man of Steel about how he accomplished this feat!" At which point the helicopter starts to lower down to STAR Labs.

Getting Kryptonite Man put away takes a bit longer than it might have. He tosses him into the room, shuts the door, and holds it shut with the TTK while waiting for the nausea to fade. Only then can he start welding the door shut. That accomplished, he flies back out, and begins to thaw the frozen Science Police with the same heat-vision, giving a pretty healthy dose of 'Are you alright, sir?'s along the way. He gestures for the reporter to hold on for just a moment, the continued wellbeing of the police coming before the publicity. It's what Kal'd have done. It is only after all the Science Police are freed that he floats over, the slight hover putting him at Clark's height. "I don't have long for questions, ma'am," he says. "There were three villains here today, I captured one, and should be getting after the others before they get too far."

The reporter heads over after the helicopter lands, though she stops when 'Superman' gestures. The Science Officer looks shaken and confused at what just happened - having fully expected to die. He'd read the bio - Killer Frost's ice daggers have the tensile strength of steel. He nods a little at 'Superman' before he's taken into STAR Labs by the scientists for tests, pausing to look back at Superman to say 'Thank you, Superman.'

The reporter listens to Kon as he says the thing about the criminals, so she just says, "Okay I just have one question - are you immune to Kryptonite now?"

Kon-el hesitates for a moment, but only for a second before just smiling to the reporter. "I think the threats to Metropolis who rely on Kryptonite are going to find themselves in for the same nasty shock Kryptonite Man just received. A lot of things have changed recently, and this is one of them."

The reporter looks at the camera as 'Superman' flies off after saying his comment. "Well there you have it. Criminals of Metropolis have lost a weapon in their malicious fight against those who would protect its inhabitants. We wonder what other changes Superman is referring to, though. This is Carmen DeAngelo reporting for MNN News. Back to you, Chip!"