Dying Lullaby Ch 12: Golem Part 3

October 10, 12:00 PM 
Metropolis

Dryad had taught Kon Metropolis’s history years ago. The former Robin’s words were bitter, yet filled with wonder and awe. The clone learned of dazzling new economies, sunlight, and hope. Even before Superman’s arrival, Metropolis was brilliant. It was such a stark contrast to Gotham.

Kon swung his fist, cracking the concrete structure of the building. Confusion and breakage surrounded him on all sides. It reminded him of his own escape from Cadmus labs. But things weren’t in his favor that night. Behind the chaos, the scientists were ready to strike him down.

(these people are defenseless)

He punched the building again. It began to collapse, and he flew towards the sky.

The sun glared at him. He could see the chaos unobstructed below; humans darting around the street, cars frozen in place or trapped in varying accidents. Some cameras were even flashing.

(does Superman always deal with things like this?)

Kon shook his head. There was little point in dwelling on the possibilities.

He found another building and launched himself towards it. He flew straight through the new target, ignoring everything-

(metal concrete glass blood paper lives)

-that he came into contact with. He was vaguely aware of Superman’s cape snagging on some debris, ripping the red cloth apart. The tattered remains stubbornly clung to him.

He looked down again. The sunlight seemed brilliant and angry, and the flashes below him were beginning to annoy him. He blinked and for a second, everything turned into a solid mass of red. It didn’t take long for him to realize that his heat vision had activated by some subconscious push. Kon closed his eyes and focused on his own breathing.

(stay calm Dryad said stay calm)

He counted to ten before opening his eyes again. Seeing the damage that he had done in those few seconds, he smiled. There were large craters of melted pavement eating away parts of the street. The remains of cars and signs were marked by scorched shapes that vaguely resembled their original forms. The corpses, merging with the tar, were harder to identify.

The lucky survivors were running clear of the scene. Curiosity was replaced by fear. They screamed, but Kon paid them no mind.

(now you can see Superman as a monster)

Kon flew closer to the ground and went through the building directly to his right. He was barely through the other side when he turned around and flew through the building again. The upper floors were trembling when he was outside again. For a second it seemed to have regained its composure.

(how can you still be standing?)

Then the wall facing him collapsed, bringing the rest of the building with it.

The Kryptonian was ready to launch himself back into the sky. He wondered where he could drop the Daily Planet’s iconic statue-

(little girl is crying)

It was only when he was halfway through the floor of the falling building that he realized what was happening. In his arms was a female child. Her brown hair was whipping around from the force of the wind he was creating. He turned, using his back to protect her as they emerged from the building. She continued to wail even as he flew away from the destruction.

(why did I do that?)

He searched the cityscape. The chaos was now a nuisance, and he had trouble blocking it out. The girl was clinging to the costume.

Kon looked down at the child. Her eyes were still squeezed shut. Words failed him; he was destroying a city but chose to save a life. Out of what few things he could say, none of them were comforting.

After a moment of consideration he flew to the garden exhibit. He landed gently, careful not to jostle the screaming girl.

“She’s got a set of lungs on her,” Dryad commented, walking out from behind a tree. “Must be tired.” He approached them, holding out a navy blue flower. He brought the plant to the girl’s face. Her cries suddenly became ragged breathing and she slumped into Kon’s arms, asleep.

The clone looked down at her again. For a second, he imagined her dead in his arms. Something inside of him twisted.

“I… I don’t understand.” he muttered. “Why did I do that?”

“That’s what I would like to know,” said Dryad. “The first thing I would guess is that you inherited it.”

The words-

(no)

-made Kon tighten his grip on the girl.

“Superman used to do a lot more for people before we died,” the other continued. “We used to call him the ‘Boy Scout of the Justice League.’ He would save people from impossible perils, get cats out of trees… That was his thing back then.”

In the background, Kon could hear panicked voices. The humans were worried of his next appearance. One woman was praying for someone to save them.

“As you already know, he started helping less and less and tried to become a ‘big picture’ kind of person. The small things stopped mattering,” Dryad said. “It would have been better if he remained the ‘Boy Scout.’”

“So I’m only doing this because Superman would have?” Kon asked bitterly.

(even now I’m in his costume being him saving people like he would)

“’Inherited’ may have been the wrong word.” Dryad stepped forward, his arms brushing against Kon’s as he took the child. Like always, Dryad’s hands were cold. “Maybe you being in the costume triggered something.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re wearing Superman’s costume. For a brief second, the world thought you were a hero,” said Dryad. A smile appeared as he spoke. “Wasn’t that something you always wanted?”

“I…” Kon considered the idea. “I’m not sure.”

“You were hopeful when you escaped Cadmus. The surface world was the symbol. The Justice League was an aspiration. The League took you in and, through a combination of what the Genomes taught you and your sense of self, you wanted to be a hero.

“But things got in the way. You were inexperienced with your powers. Superman, and subsequently the majority of the Justice League, didn’t trust you. Young Justice was falling apart before it even started. There was no chance for you to be a hero.

“But you have a chance now. It’s an odd time, but…” Dryad turned his head towards the girl. “Well, we can’t be monsters all of the time.”

Kon smiled. “That makes sense. Thanks.”

“It’s only a guess.”

“It still means a lot.” The Kryptonian turned his attention back towards the city. “Guess I should get back to destroying this place.

(because I’m not a hero)

“Where should I bring the girl?” Dryad asked.

Kon considered the options. After a moment, he said, “Somewhere safe.”

(save her from us)

Without another word, he flew back into the streets.

----------------

October 10, 4:12 PM 
Gotham

“Well, at least it was only one girl,” said Pyroead. He looked around at the other members of the family scattered around the cave. His gaze lingered on Bruce before returning to Dryad. “Imagine if he had saved more.”

“Don’t need to. There were more.” Dryad sighed, running a hand through his hair. He was leaning heavily against one of the walls. Bruce was almost surprised that the boy did not collapse from exhaustion. “Golem rescued over a dozen kids before we left.”

“Mixed signals, much?” Sylph murmured. He looked at Bruce, silently asking if such a deviation at that point in the plan was allowed. Sylph himself seemed torn between responses; he preferred being ethical, but changing the plan was very risky. Bruce could feel the others turning their attention to him as well.

Bruce didn’t take long to respond. “It’s an acceptable change.”

(and it’s better on the conscience)

Sylph relaxed at the words. He gave Pyroead a shaky smile, and received a confident grin in return. The others seemed visibly relieved as well.

Dryad, on the other hand, continued to frown.

Nymph also noticed her younger brother’s mood. “Dryad?”

The teenager turned his head to stare at the ground, his frown growing deeper. “Kon didn’t know what he was doing at first. I made up the theory on the spot but…”

The rest of the siblings looked at each other. They were all puzzled at the statement. Bruce was also waiting to see where the line of thought was leading. Muse reached for his hand and gave it a light squeeze. If she knew what Dryad was going to say, she gave no clues to what it was.

Siren finally shook her head. “So? Your theory doesn’t sound like complete bullshit, if that’s what you’re worrying about.”

“It’s not impossible,” Sylph added. “We’ve probably done the same without realizing it.”

Dryad let out a chuckle. “That’s just it. I… It’s just… I guess I got nostalgic.”

Bruce glanced at Muse. The woman offered him a grim smile in return.

“Seeing him in action brought up a lot of memories,” Dryad continued. “The whole reason I got into this business is because I wanted to save people.”

(you were a Robin an excellent Robin)

Muse’s grip on Bruce’s hand tightened. He squeezed back, and turning his attention to his children. Nymph was looking at Dryad with a gentle smile, nostalgia filling her own eyes. The other three were visibly discomforted by the words. Siren had turned away, her cheeks turning a dark red in the cavern’s shadows. Sylph and Pyroead were looking at each other, a mixture of fear and anger on each of their faces.

“I wasn’t expecting it to become a big gig,” Nymph-

(the first the first Batgirl Oracle)

-finally said. “It was only a costume party, after all.”

Pyroead-

(Robin Red Hood)

-laughed. “At least you weren’t doing anything illegal. I stole the hubcaps off the Batmobile.”

“You didn’t even successfully steal them. Dad caught you in the middle of the act,” Slyph-

(first Robin Nightwing)

-said. Some of his own anger melted away. “You thought that being Robin would be rebellious and cool. I just… Well, revenge is always a motivator.”

“Not everyone had an inspiring story,” Siren-

(Batgirl no time for anything else)

-said. “I just wanted to do what Dad was doing.”

Muse-

(my wife my love)

-let out a small chuckle. “Does it really matter? The fact is that you all chose to stay in the end.”

“But we all deviated from it,” Dryad pointed out. “We’re killing people, pushing the Justice League into ruin, destroying cities. We’re the villains this time around.”

Bruce grunted. He knew that particular line of though all too well. The loss of his memories and their gradual reveal to him had placed everything into a different perspective. Muse had pushed him towards his former mindset. While it had eased the doubts, Bruce was still left with the trains of thoughts.

“It’s not so clear cut,” Bruce said. “As with every single case that we worked, there is more than one side of the story. Some people were petty, some were insane. But they all had a reason. Our reason was the Justice League. We chose afterwards to act out the way we did. We can stop if we wanted to. We could choose to end this whole plan right now and release the prisoners.

“The problem, however, would remain; the Justice League has not learned from their mistake. They continue to try and justify their choices with the belief of the ‘greater good.’ If they are unwilling to own up to their own decision this time, what will stop them next time? Or the next after that?”

“Doesn’t that make what we’re doing for ‘the greater good’?” Dryad asked. There was humor in his words, but the underlying hesitance was worrying.

“Revenge is our primary goal. Any ‘greater good’ that comes out of this is just a byproduct.” Bruce didn’t look at anyone as he spoke. Muse ran her thumb over the back of his hand. He wondered if the others heard the doubt in his voice as well.

(but we can’t be good we aren’t heroes anymore)

-------------------

October 10, 5:29 PM 
Gotham City

Kon was still mesmerized by the weight of the corpse. Even the smallest child that he had rescued felt heavier than the woman in his arms.

(difference of life so important?)

“Are you okay?” M’gann asked. She stood a few feet away from him, having insisted on watching him retrieve the body. She turned red in embarrassment when he turned towards her. “I mean, you seem fine. You did a really great job destroying Metropolis. It was really cool when-“

“I’m fine,” he interrupted. He readjusted his hold on the tarp. The corpse was still breaking off into pieces, and he was trying to keep it together. It wouldn’t do to return her in several piles.

“You did everything perfectly. I’m just worried.” The Martian looked towards the maze of caverns. “I keep thinking what I would do if I was you. But it never works out right. I can’t stand being in the same room with Uncle J’onn.”

“I guess it would be bad if I actually cared for Superman,” Kon mused. “Maybe I would feel bad for this woman.”

“Oh! I’m not trying to imply- I mean-” The blush on her cheeks grew darker. “Hello, Megan. I’m being an idiot.”

Kon frowned. “No, it’s not you. Sorry.” He looked down at the body in his arms. “Things would have been different if he cared, you know? I would feel bad for him.”

“He doesn’t deserve it,” M’gann said. “He doesn’t deserve you.”

“Right.” Kon gave her a small smile. “I’m going to return this to him. I’ll meet you guys for dinner?”

“Year, sure.” M’gann flew up from her spot. “Good luck.”

(will I need it?)

The girl disappeared down one of the tunnels. Kon stood in place for a moment, considering the Martian’s words. She wasn’t the only one who had issues staying in the same room as her former mentor; Wally had not visited the Flash since the man’s capture, and Kraken spent at little time as possible with Aquaman. Kon himself kept his interactions with Superman to a minimum, although it was more out of disinterest than anything else.

(lies)

He looked down at the corpse again. He knew that Lois Lane was a reporter who loved Superman, and that the Kryptonian may have returned her feelings. Anything else was lost with her life; Kon didn’t know how their relationship was, if they talked about Batman’s death, or if Superman revealed the clone’s existence.

(does it matter anymore?)

Kon rose a few inches above the ground, and slowly flew into the darkness of the caves. The screams from the other members of the Justice League were still a pervasive sound. This time, he could hear Red Arrow’s voice in the mix.

He entered the smaller cavern that held Superman. The hero was still encased in his prison and devoid of almost all movement. Seeing the Man of Steel powerless sent a rush of adrenaline through Kon; he had finally proven himself to be greater than the original Kryptonian.

“I think I understand why you hated me so much,” Kon said. Superman’s eyes snapped up to look at him. Unaccountable rage filled his eyes when he saw the body, but there was no recognition.

“What have you done?!” Superman looked at the torn suit that Kon was wearing. There were small tears scattered over the material. The rest of the cape had ripped clean off. The shield on his chest, through some miracle, had remained intact. In some areas, the drying blood stood out against the blue. “You killed-“

“I’ve killed lots of people. Even leveled most of Metropolis today.” Kon gave a halfhearted shrug, careful not to jostle the body in his arms. Superman went into shock. It was quickly replaced by a mask of anger and strength. The clone smirked as he continued. “I wanted to learn how to save people, but you would only notice me if I killed. Twisted, isn’t it?”

“You think you can justify this? All for some attention?!”

“This stopped being just about attention a long time ago. You made it clear that my presence wasn’t welcomed.” Kon floated towards the other. “This is me doing what you want. This is what you were hoping for.”

“I never wanted this,” Superman said.

The younger Kryptonian lowered the corpse to the ground. “I wanted to prove you wrong at first. I listened and did whatever the Justice League told me to do. I was going to learn how to be a hero! Was I…” His voice faltered for a second. “Was I really that much of a lost cause to you?”

“Superboy-“

“That’s not my name.” Kon looked up, and their identical blue eyes met. “You made it clear that you didn’t want me in your life. Kinda hard to take up a name from someone who hates your guts.”

Superman turned away. Quietly, he said, “I never hated you.“

“Really? Then what the fuck was with the cold shoulder? Because that definitely gave me the wrong impression!” the clone shouted.

“You weren’t my responsibility.” Superman looked down at the corpse. For a moment, Kon thought he saw a flash of recognition. It quickly disappeared.

“So it’s okay that you let Batman’s family to die, but I just wasn’t worth the effort?” Kon frowned. “That actually really hurts.”

Superman sighed, the frustration evident in his voice. He looked into Kon’s eyes. “I didn’t ask for you to be created-“

“That makes two of us.”

“I am sorry for this,” the hero said. Kon flinched at the words; he wasn’t expecting the sincerity in the other’s voice. Superman didn’t seem to notice. “I’m sorry that I ignored you, and I’m sorry that you’re tangled up in this mess. I want to fix this and save you from them.”

“Them? You mean like Dryad?” Kon frowned. “Why didn’t you just save them in the first place?”

Superman grew silent. His began looking at anything in the cave but the clone.

(do you even know?)

The hero’s gaze eventually landed on the corpse on the ground. “Who did you kill?”

Kon smirked. “Her? Dryad says that you know her. Lois Lane, I believe?”

“No. You didn’t-“

“You’re right; I didn’t. Dryad killed her years ago. Buried her alive in the Metropolis botanical garden,” Kon said. He turned and began to walk away. “Dryad said she kept screaming your name.”

“No. No. Lois-“

The clone tuned the other out. He left the cavern, allowing the screams of the League members to wash over him once again.