Superboy

Scene 5: A Defining Choice

Kr followed the two adults down long and stretching hallways. According to the man, who had said his name was Desmond, they were in a research lab called Cadmus. It had been here that Kr had been created.

This was so much to comprehend. The way Desmond told it, Kr had not come into being naturally. He had been genetically grown took look the way he did within a matter of months.

"So no one gave birth to me?" he asked. "I wasn't born."

"Does that disturb you?" asked the woman, who had introduced herself as Spence. "Don't think of it like that. Think of it as something that makes you unique, special. You were grown for a special purpose, a life like no other."

"And what life is that?" asked Kr, the words almost coming out like a plea. It felt strange to hear the shift in his own tone of voice. He could hear the strong desire in his voice, the need to know what he wasn't being told.

"The answers are through this door," said Desmond.

They were at the end of the hall now. Up ahead was a door, which Desmond pushed open. Gesturing with his hand, Kr understood what it meant. Desmond wanted him to go through first.

Again, there was a split second of indecision from Kr. And yet he told himself he had to go on. He had to understand his connection Superman.

And so he went through the door, finding himself staring down at dozens of workers, not all of them were human. They were strange creatures that Kr felt should be familiar to him. These creatures came in all shapes and sizes, and all of them sported horns of varying sizes on top their heads.

"Those are genomorphs," said Spence. "They created similarly to you. Genetically grown here at Cadmus Labs."

"But what are their purposes?" asked Kr. "Why were they created? Are they like me? Were the made to fulfill a purpose."

"Everything has its purpose," said Desmond. "And this is yours, one where you need not concern yourself over the genomorphs. You were made in response to Superman."

"In response to Superman?"

"Yes," said Spence, "for one of two reasons. Should Superman perish, you are to take his place in the name of humanity. However, should Superman turn against us, it will be your purpose to eliminate him."

The words rang in Kr's ears. It was then that he remembered how he knew that Superman had super hearing. He could hear the echo of Spence's words in his head. He had been created to kill Superman?

Out of all the things Spence and Desmond had told him, this was what he had the hardest time believing. Kill Superman? Could he have the potential to be that powerful? Did he have the same powers?

"I don't understand," he said at last. "Why would Superman turn against humanity? Has he not always done everything to defend people?"

"Hard truth you need to learn, boy," said Desmond. "People can change, not always for the better. This applies to Superman just as it applies to everyone else. It would be foolish not to be prepared for the worst. We must be ready to resort to any means to save lives."

As he was talking, something strange happened to Kr. As Desmond spoke, he saw a new image in his head. But this one was different. Before now, everything had been in color, but not this one. It was all black and white.

He saw a plane flying over an island country. Japan, he realized. He watched as the plane soared overhead before dropping something. Something small and made of metal descended toward the land below. Seconds later, there was a powerful explosion. A giant cloud rose into the air in the shape of a mushroom.