The Man Inside the Legend

A Day to die for part 2
(split into two chaps cause I'm lazy as poop)


The voice of his father revives Superman and he begins to struggle to remove the shard from his back. The shard is buried deep in his flesh, his fingers weaken painfully and cannot even begin to grasp it as he sinks deeper into the depths of the ocean. More words from his father urge him to fight for his life, to get to the surface.

Amazingly he breaks the water's surface gasping for air and yet still knowing his fate was sealed the moment kryptonite entered his body. Excruciatingly painful is the decay of his insides by the crystal as it eats away all of his remaining strength. Not even his godlike will can keep him afloat and he slips back under the waves.

'Cold, so cold and alone. Is this death? Is this my death father?' The last kryptonian questions as it grows darker and he surrenders to his fate in this icy underwater graveyard.

The sensation of rising, floating upward tickles across his mind. 'Must be dead...where am I to go? Will I still be alone?' Flickers in Superman's subconscious as he is dredged up out of the water and into Richard's little sea plane.

Quickly Richard jumps back into the pilot seat and starts up the plane's engine. "Come on." He begs the engine to turn over faster.

Louis holds the limp, and sickly pale body of the man she loves in her arms. "Richard!" She yells out for him to hurry as if she can see the life flow out of Superman's body.

"I'm trying! It's too choppy!" He yells backwards as he fights the controls trying to get lift. "Come on." The plane finally begins to gain altitude but kryptonite structures block the path forcing the plane back down on the chaotic water. Trying desperately to regain the lost lift Richard doesn't see the cliff coming until the plane is falling. Richard yells out in effort as he pulls the controls up and pulling up just barely in time to avoid making a watery grave for them all. Richard laughs in joy filled with adrenaline from escaping certain death.

Upon leaving the area concentrated with kryptonite some color returns to the deathly pale face cradled in Louis's lap. Face scrunching in worry as her once thought invincible hero doesn't just get better magically as he has before.

'Somethings wrong, why isn't he healing?' Louis worries as she quickly feels around a body once so familiar. Closely inspecting the torn blue suit she finds her answer in the form of a bloody piece of kryptonite jutting out of his lower back. 'Oh my god. What do I do? What do I do?! Get it out, I have to get it out of him NOW.' Moving quickly she gets the emergency kit and dumps out the supplies, hands searching for pliers. As fast, and yet as carefully as she can, she starts to pull out the shard cringing at the sound of pure agony and pain coming from the man in her lap. Working faster despite the cries and her horror at hurting the man she cares so deeply for she manages to pull it free.

Sharp, blinding pain suddenly becomes nothing more than a dull ache. Blue eyes blink open in confusion. 'I'm not dead, hurts too much.' He thinks ruefully watching Louis open the plane's door and hurling the shard-of-excruciatingly-horrible-pain away and hopefully to never be seen again. Shutting the door she moves over and lifts up Superman's head watching with joy as his face is flooded with color and life.

Taking a few deep breaths panting breaths, "How did you find me?" He asks shakily, very glad and yet confused that they did. Louis looks back towards her son and as he stares at Superman. "Thank you." 'How ever you did it.'

Superman stands up shakily still very drained and weak from that much kryptonite. Rocking back slightly on his heels as muscles almost give up but hold out anyhow. 'I know what I have to do.' A Steading breath and he turns opening the plane door drawing a look from Richard that was obviously 'Damn crazy people! Don't they know not to ever, ever open a door on a plane WHILE ITS FLYING?!' The look goes unnoticed, and Richard remains silent in respect.

"What are you doing?" Louis asks incredulously 'After you just opened the damn door and you say that!' Richard mentally rolls his eyes in exasperation at his passengers.

Turning back around, "I have to go back." Superman tells Louis simply throwing her off guard. Blinking rapidly as she thinks of something to say.

"You're hurt." She looks to Richard for support. Her fiance looks at her, then his romantic rival. Sharing a meaningful look conveying unwavering duty he remains silent, desperately Louis turns back to Superman eyes pleading him to stay, and yet knowing that he has to go.

"Goodbye Louis." Is all that is said before the man is out the door cape billowing behind him, leaving Louis to worry and Richard to complain in his head.

'Think he's shut the door, or maybe my crazy girlfriend would, but NO I'll probably have to to it WHILE FLYING Damn it!' Richard only half heartedly thinks while he worries and prays for Superman to come back safely. 'And yes steal my girl.'

Superman jets upward into and through the clouds to bask in golden sunlight regaining his lost strength. Arms outstretched in the light his wounds knit, outside and within as he prepares himself for the greatest challenge of strength yet. Curling a fist, satisfied with the returning power, 'Now I can do what is right.' Face set he rockets down to earth like a meteor, superheated air leading the way. Blazing down under the ocean, through the sear floor and safely under the kryptonite island.

***********************

Stroking the remaining kryptonian crystals Lex Luthor pulls out a cigar cutting the tip off and lighting it. Kitty comes back from where ever she was hiding looking very upset.

"Are billions of people really going to die Lex?" She asks worriedly.

Lex takes a slow, long satisfying drag from the cigar. "Yes."

Forestalling a 'deeper' discussion with Kitty the ground starts shaking, raddling the crystals. Lex gets up and moves over to look out across his island. 'Superman' It could be only one force, 'I don't know how but its him.' Hurrying he wraps up his precious crystals and motions everyone to leave.

"Go go. Get to the helicopter." He commands tells Kitty. "No no get out now, no no take nothing just go!" Moving quickly he and Kitty clear out while the other men take their time to grab things while the island begins to collapse around them.

All are full out running by the time a large column of crystal creaks and starts to fall, but the three hired thugs cannot avoid their fate as the column comes down atop of them and bringing them to death instantly. The only survivor of the destruction in a small video camera that was launched out of harms way. 'Too good to be true' Quickly Lex grabs up the camera before continuing his run to the helicopter. Throwing the camera in the back and setting the crystals in Kitty's lap he starts up the helicopter.

"Here." He absent mindedly says to Kitty concentrating completely on the task of the helicopter. Too late he can only watch as Kitty dumps them out of her lab and onto the island.

"What did you do?" He screams at her.

"I'm sorry." Is all she can say through her tears. Lex makes a move to get out and grab them, but the island is breaking up too fast. He quickly gets the helicopter flying and they make it off just as the island is rising into the air.

'Curse you Superman!' Unable to do anything but watch as his dream home is carried off by his worst enemy Lex flies off seething.

***********************************

'Didn't go deep enough.' Feeling his strength once again being drained by kryptonite. Never one to give up he pushed on, flying higher and higher into the clouds. Chunks of rock fall off into the ocean revealing more and more kryptonite that seems to grow in size.

'Just a little longer, just a little higher. This is nothing compared to earlier.' Delving into more of his legendary strength and resolve he breaks through the clouds and into space. Stone cracks all around him revealing kryptonite bare and close enough to really effect him.

Older kryptonite wounds tear open all across his body, and even his suit is damaged again. Blood flows across his skin, the pain is almost unbearable. It were almost as if the shard was back inside his body.

'So close..just a little more.' With one last heave and the island pulls free of gravity and drifts away carried by momentum, but he does not heal. The wounds do not close, the pain doesn't stop. With his mission complete the greatest hero the world will ever know gives in completely to his wounds knowing they are mortal just like he is now. No one left to save, no reason to fight he lets go and drifts back down to Earth. Eyes close, glad to meet the end of today. A small smile crosses his face as the wind brushes his dark locks all about, and he worries no more.

**********************

People stop and stare, watching their hero plummet to the Earth after watching him carry off an island into space. They watch, waiting for his frightening decent to slow and level off, but it doesn't Something is wrong, terribly wrong. Watching the world holds it's collective breath waiting, hoping, praying.

The thud of the impact can be heard for miles around, shocking all who hear it. Such a final sound, the sound of an era ending. The shock wave of dust spreads out from the forest, the only movement. No one dares more, they scarcely breath, terrified to face a world with Him dead. Without him forever.

After a few minutes of the strongest of heart rush over in hope despite the dread and silence of the forest. The first arrive at the great crater where in lies their champion, silent and deathly still.

Hearts break at the sight, men openly weep at the so still form lying broken in the bottom, arms spreed, suit torn and bloody. Cries of despair fill the silence, the people half run half slide down to their hero's rescue. They all stop within a few feet of the pale form. Afraid of the truth, until one brave man steps forth. He kneels down by the deathly white face he reaches out with a shaky hand to feel along cool skin in search of a pulse. Not a single person dares breath, all awaiting a sign from the brave man. A few painful moments go by that feel like years until the man finds it.

"He's alive!" He screams out happily and everyone yells in relief and joy in chorus. "He needs our help." The man lifts up the barely living legend as gentle as a mother carries a new born. He is lifted up and is carried by several strong men and carried out of the crater as reverently as the world's greatest treasure.

An ambulance arrives quickly taking him to Metropolis Hospital at speeds that would do their precious passenger proud. A full escort of police clear the way of concerned citizens and escort the stretcher into the hospital. The medical staff are stunned to see their hero so still on the gurney. They can do nothing but stare and hope.

He is wheeled into OR where the best doctors are already waiting. Wasting no time, He is stripped of his defiled suit revealing dozens of wounds. Bruises, gashes and blood mare the white flesh making a nurse gasp at the sight of the man of steel so unlike his namesake and so near death. Quickly all the wounds on his body are checked until they locate a small kryptonite fragment embedded in his right shoulder. It is removed post haste and put aside when their patient flat lines.

Quickly they try IV's and electro pads but its to no avail as all attempts to save his life fail. The painful sound of the flat line becomes the only sound as the best medical minds exhaust their ideas on how to save Superman's life. Hopelessly they stop and slowly remove everything out of the room, including the faintly glowing green crystal.

***************************

The world stops and prays for their hero, waiting for word, waiting for hope. Richard knows Louis loves Superman, and honestly who could blame her? Richard sucks up his pride and takes her to him knowing if there is anyone in the world who could bring him back, it is her. If Richard is going to lose her to someone, it had better be the best. 'I love you dearly, but thats why I'll let you fo to him.' Richard thinks sadly to himself as Louis leaves the car with their child wondering if it will ever be the same.

*******************************

Something...something whispered, a pressure on his lips, then to his forehead; A Purpose.

'He's your son.'

Whispers through his mind, making no sense yet sparking something within. A reason to live, to fight, to love.

'He's your son.'

Whispers again, beginning to make sense. Blue eyes open once more, slowly surprised that they can, for surely that was the end after so much suffering and pain.

'He's your son.'

Whispers again fully bringing Superman back. With amazing speed he is dressed and out the window with a whoosh of air, and hope for the future.

'My son, I have a son.' Whirls around Superman's head as he gazes down at his child. 'My god, he's beautiful, perfect and my son.' Superman kneels down at his son's bed eyes watering with emotion and the only smile that day crosses his lips as he gives his son the same speech his father had given him. Lovingly he strokes back his son's hair and leaves before his child can awaken.

Louis shakily goes to light yet another cigarette but stops when her son yells out, "Goodnight!" She quickly turns to where her son is waving to see Superman floating there in the sky as though it were an ordinary day. Her throat constricts with emotion and she coughs out in surprise.

"I..." Her voice gives out. "I..W..Will we see you..." She chocks out, the expression on Superman's face nearly breaks her. His haunted look, mixed with something else. "Around?" She says in hope. The haunted look fades and Superman smiles the second smile of the day.

"I'm always around. The smile is filled with his love for his child and that he will indeed be around to help with their child. "Goodbye Louis." He says simply before flying off to enjoy the first rays of sunlight of a new day filled with new hope.


***********************
****************
***********************

End chapter one whoooo wa! Whacha ya'll think? Will be much more when I get the time to upload it...and yessss there with be enjoyable mansex in this later hehhehehehhehehehe