Son of Krypton, Daughter of Earth

The Storm of the Galaxy

Lexy looked out the window at dark clouds gathering over Manhattan. A lightning bolt flashed from heaven to ocean, ending in thunder that rattled the windows. A faint rain splatted on the glass, then stopped. Dark skies bursting with rain mobbed the city.

She popped the lid off a cup of cat food, plopped the food in the Boostsie's bowl, and set in on the floor for the cat. Bootsie wasn't her cat, just as this studio wasn't her apartment, and New York City wasn't her city. She had big hopes that might change. She'd been laid off from her job in South Carolina six months ago and had to move in with her mother. At 34 years old, her 'career', or work history, as her sister, Pris, called it, was pathetic, although Pris never said that out loud. No luck finding another job in Columbia during the Pandemic, so Pris, who's cat, apartment, and city this was, offered to let her stay in her Midtown studio apartment while Pris worked in Paris from May to July.

It was a generous offer for Lexy. It allowed Pris to leave her daughters with their grandmother in Columbia, SC, and her cat at home, while Lexy looked for work in New York City. So far, she'd gotten temp work, enough to leave her savings untouched in the bank, a mostly free place to stay for the summer, in Manhattan of all places, and Bootsie to keep her company.

Pris would return the end of July to care for her daughter, Brenda, during her bone marrow transplant for leukemia. Lexy was a match and had immediately agreed to donate. Afterwards, Pris would marry Dex, her fiance. He had gotten her the temp job at his huge law firm and promised to find her something permanent. 

Boots gobbled steadily from his bowl. Lexy's stomach growled, and she searched the small kitchenette for something to eat. She'd been working so much overtime she hadn't had time to walk to the cheaper stores in Hell's Kitchen. "Grilled cheese and tomato soup for my dinner," she told the cat. Bootsie kept eating.

She looked out the windows at the darkening sky, black clouds rolling in from the Atlantic, purplish lightning flashing. Faint booms sounded in the distance. She got her umbrella and left the high-rise. The small bodega she liked was a block away, where prices were reasonable for Manhattan.

She got bread, a can of tomato soup, treated herself to a bag of croutons, paid and left. She stopped at another store to check magazines and books. She spotted 'Phantom Attack' a Superman she hadn't read. The last son of Krypton soared across the cover in his blue costume with red cape flying behind. A spaceship with a Kryptonian villain at the helm shot bolts at Superman, which bounced harmlessly off his "S" symbol. "I'll send you and your troops back to the Phantom Zone, General Zod! Earth is under my protection!" Superman's word bubble declared.

She bought the book and a chocolate bar and hurried home, trying to get there before the rain. She almost made it. She unfurled the umbrella but wind blew the rain around and she got soaked anyway.

She showered before eating at the tiny table as rain began to pound on the windows. Lightning with that odd purple tinge, now with traces of ugly yellow-green, flashed constantly, and the thunder was deafening. The weather report said the storm would last all night. 

She cleaned up and took a cup of tea, her Superman comic, and her candy bar to the sofa. She got comfortable and began to read about Kal-El saving Earth. As usual. She never tired of it. Bootsie curled up on her lap. She opened the TV schedule and to her surprise found a Superman movie. She'd seen it a few times but put it on and let it buzz as she read.  

Superman pushed Zod into a Zone transporter at long last. The transporter shut, whirred, and Earth was safe, once again. The end. Lexy closed the book and watched TV.

"We interrupt this program to bring you a weather warning. The storm has increased to Force 5. NOAA reports they have never recorded a storm this severe. Residents of the five boroughs and nearby areas are warned to prepare for evacuation. NOAA says this unusual hurricane level storm is localized to New York City and the nearby Tri-State region and ends about 35 miles from City Hall. Mayor Johnston is overseeing emergency services. Shelters have been set up. Stay tuned for further news." The reporter signed off.