Note: This takes place before Final Crisis
Superman flew all around Metropolis on his final patrol before the night of Christmas Eve, everything was quiet yet moving. The whole city flowed from one place to the other as the required preparations were made for the biggest holiday of the year to take place. Last minute shopping, turkey baking and trees being decorated. Everything as normal as it could be, even the crime had taken a pause to enjoy the spirit of Christmas.
Superman moved closer to the Daily Planet until finally being above it, after that he landed for a few moments to focus his attention on the one thing that remained on his mind. Superman extends his hand and grabs a little piece of paper, he then opens it.
Things to do for Christmas this year:
1. Give Perry and Jimmy the biggest story of the year.
2. Make sure that Ma and Pa don’t need anything.
3. Take care that no one misses Christmas
4. Give the perfect present to Lois
5. Show the spirit of Christmas to Lex
A list was easy to write but many times difficult to fulfill, there was one of the things listed there that year after year was impossible to make and that kept frustrating Clark. Still, it was Christmas and so not the time to be frustrated but to enjoy the small and great things about life. Superman then started to fly again and then rushed to Kansas, more specifically to the town where he grew up in.
As Superman came closer and closer to his destination the various sounds of Metropolis started to become less and less notorious and they were replaced with the ones of animals from the farm, tractors and the voices of the two people that had made him who he was today. Martha and Jonathan Kent received a young and powerful baby but they were the ones that gave birth to a superman.
However as Clark started to come closer and closer he started to realize that not everything was good in the old Kent farm. “We can’t keep going like this Jonathan” said the first voice in a truly preoccupied tone.
“I know Martha…is just that…this farm has been of my family for generations and through so many crisis…I just never believed that we wouldn’t get enough product in this economy to cover the expenses….I…I failed…” replied the other voice, the one coming from Jonathan Kent. As Clark finally landed he decided to not make his presence known, instead he hid next to the door and using his x-ray vision started to examinee the room in which his parents were. Both of them were sitting at the table of the kitchen, various bills could be seen at said table. Without saying anything, due to his fear of being spotted by their parents he didn’t say a thing and instead started to fly at full speed towards his Fortress of Solitude, there he grabbed a couple of machines and then returned to the farm in just a matter of seconds.
Once Clark found himself flying above the same farm in which his ship crashed so many years ago he started to grab various seeds and throw them with great precision and agility using his telescopic version and super speed to finish the work. He then landed and put the various machines across the field, these artifacts were designed with Kryptonian tecnology and were able to accelerate the process of the growing of various fruits and vegetables, Superman had been working on that device for years now, as a potential cure to world’s hunger but it still needed a lot of adjustments and be made in mass production but for now it would be enough to help his parents through this hard time. In the matter of minutes the whole field was covered with the fruits and vegetables that would have required a lot of time to equal.
Clark then rushed to knock on the door with real gentleness and then left the farm; however before he was completely gone he turned around and started to use his heat vision on the floor. Martha was the one that answered the door and couldn’t believe what her eyes were seeing. “Jonathan!” she yelled with great surprise and excitement, Jonathan rushed to where his wife was completely scared of what could put Martha so worked over. In front of them was the answer to all their problems, enough food to pay their debts and have enough money for next year without any problem. Tears came to the eyes of both parents, as they went out of the house though they noticed one thing on the ground. In the mud one could find various words that were emitting smoke. “A small gift to the world’s greatest parents” it said, the Kents smiled and looked up to the sky. “Thanks son.” Whispered Jonathan Kent knowing quite well that his son would be able to listen to him wherever he was.
Superman smiled and continued his journey towards Metropolis, he had taken one thing off his list but there still was too much to do. As Superman reaches his apartment at Sullivan place avenue he suddenly finds himself without any breath. In there he can find the one woman who can make everything perfect for him and why he can accept the title of “the man who has everything”. As Superman enters the room he is received by a passionate kiss of his wife. “Lois…” he starts to say as he separates his lips from hers and shows a little crystal with the form of a lab tube. “Drink it. This is your gift” he suggests and as Lois does as said she starts to gain a new perspective of the universe. His senses increase by the hundreds in the matter of seconds and a new world is unveiled for her.
“What was that?” asks Lois as she tries to gain composure and understand what had happened to her. “What I think would be the perfect gift for you” answers Superman with a smile on his face as he grabs her and takes her to the roof. “One of my various experiments. The serum you just drank gives you Kryptonian powers for 3 hours.” He continued and then started to move around the roof. “I know you probably want to share the experience with me and fly together but I can’t right now, too much things to do.” But as Superman turned around to face his wife he noticed that she was already flying and leaving Sullivan place at a great speed. “Hang with you Smallville? Are you mad? I only have 3 hours, you would slow me down!” she claimed with great enthusiasm as she left the place with the intention to go to Paris. Superman simply smiled, his wife never ceases to amaze him.
“Only 3 more to go.” Says Superman as he flies at full speed towards his next destination. He could notice how the night had almost reached Metropolis. He would have to rush himself, as he moved across the city he made his way into the offices of Luthorcorp where Lex stood alone planning the eventual defeat of the man he believed was his nemesis. Using his finger Superman broke the glass of one of the windows and then entered the room.
“Lex” he whispered, announcing his arrival. Lex Luthor simply turned around with a gun on his hand which he fired, it had golden kryptonite in it and not only passed Superman’s invulnerable skin, it also took all his powers away from him for various moments. “Finally!” Lex screams as he starts punching with all his fury against Superman’s chest and jaw, in a few moments the man of steel is on the floor dead. “I did it!” Lex announces loudly to the word. “I finally killed Superman!” but as he was enjoying his victory Superman started to shake on the ground and grabbed Luthor by the ankle. “Prove it Luthor. Prove that all those promises weren’t empty ones. You said that the day you got rid of me you would save humanity, make the first step. Prove why Luthor is superior to all, especially Superman.” With that said, the man of steel passed away.
“Oh I’ll prove it Superman. First with my money and then with my mind!” said Luthor as he rushed to the telephone, once there he picked it up and started to dial his secretary. “This is Lex. Grab all the money we won this year and give it in equal parts to all the charity organizations in Metropolis. Oh and just to spit on Superman’s grave, give the exclusive to the Daily Planet with the requirement that Lois Lane and Jimmy are the ones behind the story!” having said that he hanged up the phone and then sat on his chair, enjoying the moment completely. A few meters away from the window Superman observed quietly until the moment he felt a small torrent of wind come next to him. “Kara” he said out loud, his cousin upon observing the way Luthor was acting couldn’t help but to ask her cousin what was going on.
“What did you do to Lex?” she asked, Superman simply closed his eyes, smiled and then started to have his way towards the Daily Planet once again. “It’s a variation from the liquid that the orchids of Mongul create. It will pass in about 5 minutes; he is living right now his greatest desire but at the same time is interacting with the real world.” Having said that Superman landed on the globe of the Daily Planet followed closely by Supergirl.
“So shall we go to do the other thing?” Supergirl questions, Clark simply grabs the piece of paper he has been carrying all day and looks at it. “Let me see. ‘Make sure that Ma and Pa don’t need anything?’ Done. ‘Give the perfect present to Lois?’ Done. ‘Show the spirit of Christmas to Lex?’ Done. ‘Give Perry and Jimmy the biggest story of the year?’”
But before Superman was able to finish he started to hear the screaming that had become a signature of every time that Perry was working. “Jimmy! I need you to go to Lexcorp to take a few photos! Where the heck is Lois?! Tell her we have a big story for her, the headline is the next: ´Luthor has a heart´”
Clark simply smiled and looked at his cousin. “Done. We can go.” With that said both of them returned to the Fortress of Solitude where hundreds of robots were working and building at an incredible speed. “I wish Connor was here to do this with us…” Superman lamented himself and then turned around to see that Supergirl had already changed clothes. “You look good in red” he complimented her with a smile and then at super speed also dressed completely on red and white colors. Superman then turned to one of the robots. “Is everything ready?” he asked, the robot simply affirmed with the face. “Then take it all outside” ordered Clark and all of the robots started to grab all the toys that they had built and put them together. “Race you.” Supergirl challenged his cousin and then started to fly at super speed; Superman did the same moments later. As they flew all across the globe they started to leave a toy or gift on every single home or what the homeless could consider home and left it there, making sure that the next day no one would wake up without a present of Christmas.
The process was a long one but when it was finished Clark and Kara hugged each other, knowing that it finally was Christmas. Clark grabs and reveals his gift to Kara, a cat with the powers of the kryptonians much like Krypto. Supergirl hugs the cat and then kisses his cousin on the cheek; she then grabs one paper and gives it to his cousin before leaving. “ This is for the man that gave everything to the world.” She says as she leaves, Superman simply opens it and notices it is a warden signed by every single president and king of the world. “With this decree we declare that 26 of December is the official global day of Superman. A day to pay homage to the world’s greatest protector and our personal hero. For when we are all gone, his legacy will remain as strong as ever, because he’ll still be here.”
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