RIVERS OF RED
Prologue: Resurrection
The Brain Interactive
Construct had decided on the thing following the failed restoration of Zod in
the body of Lex Luthor. The second attempt would only end in failure if the son
of Jor-El was not neutralized permanently.
Zod had ensured that its core matrix included a programming restriction
that prevented the taking of Kryptonian life. Zod had not done this out of any
altruistic desire to force any operating system into making such a decision but
rather to ensure that his creation did not turn on him.
Thus simply eliminating
Kal-El was not an option.
However, neither was
letting him be.
As proved when Zod had
ruled briefly on Earth, too much of Jor-El was in the boy and though he had no
real connection to the planet of his birth, his father had chosen his carers
well. The same disdainful tolerance of lower species existed in Kal-El making
him prone to the manipulations of barely civilized hominids. It was not
possible to use Kal-El as a vessel for Zod and despite the convenience of Lex
Luthor; it would not be easy to approach the man as he had done before. Luthor
was gullible once but the Brainiac construct suspected that he would not be so
easily tricked again.
No, a new stratagem was
required.
Following the defeat of
Zod, it had watched the progress of Kal-El in his life. The Brainiac Construct
watched Luthor’s somewhat rapid descent into depths that made it question if
Zod’s influence had truly been vanquished or some residue of the General’s
spine been left in a previously flawed would be dictator. Luthor had great
dreams but he had been conflicted. Whatever impetus has tipped the balance, its
hold was almost entirely complete now.
Luthor was fast
becoming Zod without even being aware of it.
Mildly impressed, the
Brainiac construct offered no interference in Luthor’s descent, though it was
curious as to what had been the fulcrum of change. In the final analysis, it
mattered little to the sentient program, it only served notice that Luthor
would not make a suitable host. If nothing else, he might even be useful when
Zod returned. The General was always quick to recognize natural talent.
The new face that
appeared in Kal-El’s life however, was another thing entirely.
He was in a position of
power, he as affluent as Luthor and equally influential. One thing he surpassed
Luthor was his physical excellence. While Luthor had been a prime example of
human development, the construct new source of interest was even more perfect.
Every muscle, every sinew and every thought had been honed to discipline.
Furthermore, the specimen was considered a trusted ally of Kal-El, someone he
would follow without question.
Someone, he would not
suspect until it was absolutely too late.
***********
Goddamn Ollie, it’s only been a couple of months since
Lois and you’re hung up over a blonde in fishnets.
Oliver Queen or rather
the Green Arrow frowned as he continued his stake out over the Star City docks,
waiting for the shipment of drugs he knew would be transported off a Russian
freighter sometime this evening. The ship had made an unscheduled stop in
Once the ship was
offloaded, the Green Arrow would follow the load back to its distributor in
Of course it was easy
to be distracted as he remained hidden on the roof, trying not to freeze his
ass off despite how well insulated leather could be. It had been little over
two months since he left Metropolis and even longer since a certain dark
haired, Inquisitor reporter with a tendency to say the absolute wrong thing all
time, had walked out of his life. He thought getting over her would be hard and
had even insinuated a bit of brooding melancholy to his act. However, that
whacko in
However, that was
before the blond in the fishnets.
She had come out of
nowhere, collared the mugger he had about to take down. A flounce of golden
hair and a smile that could make you forget your name and she was gone. Talk
about POW right between the eyes, Oliver still couldn’t stop thinking about
her. Unfortunately, she was extremely
elusive and his efforts to find her had come to nothing. Oliver, who prided
himself in being able to find anyone, was unable to find the woman the
newspaper was calling the Black Canary.
Cute.
So he was left to
languish, hoping he’d catch a glimpse of her when he was out on patrol,
behaving like some love struck schoolboy and completely forgetting that he was
supposed to be heartbroken over …
Lois. Her name was
Lois, Oliver.
Yeah her.
So far, nothing had
happened at the docks and Oliver was starting to question whether or not he had
his facts wrong. Maybe his contacts had
been misled; maybe the freighter was exactly what it was. He considered maybe
going on board, checking it out for himself just to assure his own piece of
mind. He had gotten into places a good deal more secure than this. After some of the high-security fortresses he
had broken into since the beginning of his career, it would be pretty sad state
of affairs if the Green Arrow couldn’t check out one Russian ship.
“Want some company?” a
voice suddenly said behind him.
Spinning around on his
heels, with crossbow unslung and ready to fire in a blink of an eye, Oliver
Queen aka Green Arrow, found himself looking up at the greatest pair of legs in
fishnets he had ever seen. She wore knee high black boots, a black backless
number and bolero jacket, looking at him with that smile that was capable of
rendering him senseless. As it was, she was unknowingly the party to some
pretty intense dreams.
“This is a good way to
get yourself shot,” he retorted, looking at her. His heart beating just a
little faster. God, she was beautiful.
“No way,” she said
cockily, dropping to her knees next to him in his hiding place. “You’re too
good to have an itchy finger.”
“You’re just trying to
be nice to me so I’ll let you stay for this bust,” Ollie maintained his cool
persona and not because of his Green Arrow persona either. “This is my
stakeout. Go find your corner of
“Am I that
transparent?” She batted those gorgeous eyelashes at him.
“Well just in the
legs,” he smirked.
She uttered a soft
laugh and Ollie sighed at that, great laugh too. Damn.
“Well can my legs buy
me a spot next to the Green Arrow?” She asked. “My sources say that its not
just drugs that ship is carrying.”
He turned to her
sharply, all business now. “What do you mean?”
“There’s been a rash of
child kidnappings in
His jaw clenched. Yes
he did know and the possibility of that
was more than enough for him to forget about the drugs and storm the ship right
now. “If that’s the case, we’re not
waiting.”
“I thought you might
say that,” she said with a smile. “I haven’t done anything this big before, I
thought a partner would be nice.”
“I didn’t say we’re
partners,” he returned. “You follow my lead and try not to get in trouble.”
“Are you always this
charming or is this something you’re saving just for me?” The Canary asked,
giving him a look.
“Must be the hair,” he
grinned.
“Well can we at least
shake on it?”
“What are we in the
schoolyard?” Oliver stared at her but extended his hand anyway. She was cute
and had great legs; he could afford to cut her some slack.
She grabbed his hand
and pulled him close, until their lips were almost touching. “We don’t do this
in the schoolyard,” she whispered, drawing him close.
Blond. Fishnets. Oliver
should have known better but he moved into kiss her anyway.
Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he saw her hand move, lightning fast. For
a fleeting instant, he thought
Except it wasn’t the
Canary. Right before his eyes, the girl vanished.
Instead, he was staring
at a man with cheekbones so sharp they could draw blood. He opened his mouth to speak as the dark haze
began to fall over Oliver’s consciousness and said with a smile.
“You’ll do.”