Superboy

“Connor!” Cassie screamed as she saw him flying toward her. An instant later, an unbreakable grip clamped around her ankle.

”You didn’t think you’d get away that easily, did you?” Match asked with a sick grin on his face.

“Let me go!” Cassie yelled as she drew back her other foot and kicked Match in the forehead.

“Now that wasn’t nice at all,” Match sneered. He pulled his arm back and threw her into a building.

“Cass!” Superboy yelled. The commotion had finally caught his attention. He rocketed forward, driving his fists into Match’s back. As Match fell toward the street, Superboy raced to Cassie’s side.

“Are you all right?” he asked. She grabbed onto him.

”It’s Guardian,” she sobbed. “I think Match might have killed him.”

“Jim?” Superboy asked as his eyes were drawn slowly down toward the smoking hole in the hotel’s side.

“No,” Superboy whispered as his vision began to blur. “It can’t be true.” He fell to his knees in the street.

Cassie knelt beside him. “I’m sorry,” she said as she put her arms around him.

“How touching,” a voice boomed from above. Cassie and Superboy looked up to see a smirking Match hovering above them. “I turn your mentor into barbecue, and you fall to the ground and cry.” Match’s smirk grew wider. “Just make it easy. Stay there and I’ll make it quick.”

Superboy’s face contorted with rage as he gently pushed Cassie away. “Go take care of your mom, Cass,” he said. “I’ll take care of this.”

“Connor, are you sure?” Cassie asked. Superboy nodded once and launched into flight.

“You’re going to pay for this,” Superboy said as he flew in front of Match. “You’ve gone too far this time.”

“That’s funny,” Match said. “That’s why I’m here. Apparently you’ve been a bad boy, so I get the privilege of spanking you.” Match’s fist slammed into Superboy’s stomach as fast as lightning, causing Superboy to double over. Match grabbed Superboy by the hair and raised his head.

“Maybe the next Cadmus agent will be more cooperative,” Match sneered. Another fist slammed into Superboy’s face, sending him back and through a window.

Fascinating, Dubbilex thought. At last it worked. Using his powers to disguise himself, he slipped aboard Cadmus’s special subway train and was shortly en route to Metropolis. He used his powers again to set up a meeting, but was still unable to shake the feeling that something horrible was happening.

Superboy looked up as the outer wall of the apartment he’d landed in exploded. Match gently landed inside. “You know, it doesn’t have to be like this,” he said. He stepped forward and extended a hand. “Just follow orders and do as you’re told. That’s all. Do that and I’ll leave.”

“You’re lying,” Superboy said as he wiped away blood from his nose. “All you’ve ever wanted to do is kill me.”

“Kill you?” Match asked before laughing. “You’ve got this all wrong.” He squatted down in front of Superboy, using his powers to keep the young hero pinned to the floor. “You aren’t my target. Say you will work with us and I’ll release you and allow her to live as well.”

”Her?” Superboy asked. His face paled as he realized the truth. “You’re trying to kill Cassie.”

”Exactly,” Match confirmed. “You just got in the way.” He extended his hand again. “I’ve released your arm,” he said. “There is a new day dawning, Superboy, and Cadmus is a vital part of that new day. Join us.”

Superboy raised his arm, reaching his hand toward Match’s. An instant before they would have clasped, Superboy spun his hand around and gave Match a very distinct gesture.

“Foolish boy,” Match said as he stood. “I doubted that your resistance to us would change.” He smirked. “Perhaps Wonder Girl will join us. After you are dead, there will be nothing to keep me from taking your place in her life as a Titan. As a friend.” Match’s smile grew sinister. “And as a lover.”

“No!” Superboy screamed. Using strength he didn’t know he had, he pushed himself off the floor. Match staggered backward a few steps as the feedback hit him.

“Impressive,” Match said, “but futile. All that you have done is ensure that you will die on your feet instead of your back.”

“You know,” Superboy said as he braced himself for battle, “I used to feel sorry for you. Being born the way you were and forced to obey the Agenda’s orders would affect anybody. But now I see you for what you really are. You’re nothing but a twisted, evil monster and I’m taking you down.”

Match smiled a cocky smile and motioned Superboy forward. “Try,” he invited.

Superboy took a step and suddenly started grabbing at his face. “Going to cry again?” Match sneered.

Superboy dropped his hands and opened his eyes. Blinding red beams shot out. Match screamed as he was enveloped in the heat. To escape, he backed up to the hole in the wall and allowed himself to fall. When he was gone, Superboy’s vision returned to normal.

“Heat vision?” Match asked as he regained control of his flight and started patting out the burning areas of his uniform. “How could he have developed that?”

”That was weird,” Superboy mused as he rubbed his eyes in the damaged apartment. “Glad it happened, though!” He ran toward the hole in the wall.

The disguised Dubbilex sat down in the rear booth of the Ace O’ Clubs. He’d finally escaped the owner’s talk about his “fav’rit” and was able to wait peacefully for the person he was meeting.

At last the other person slid into the booth across the table from him. “I got your call,” he said.

Dubbilex pulled a computer disk out of his pocket and slid it across the table. “There is some information on there I believe you can use,” he said. “It covers the recent changes to the Cadmus Project and some plans I do not believe you will approve of.”

”Oh?” the other person asked, interested.

Dubbilex steepled his hands before him. “Indeed. For example, I have recently learned that Amanda Spence has been in contact with the creature called Match. In order to gain control of Superboy, she is willing to place Wonder Girl’s life in danger.”

The other man started to stand, but Dubbilex waved him back down. “Superboy is already on the scene and doing quite well,” he said. “He can handle this. If the need arises, I can easily shut down Match’s mind with my telepathy.”

The other man nodded. “So what do you want me to do with this?” he asked, holding up the disk.

Dubbilex smiled as he stood. “You will do what is right,” he said. “I trust your judgment.”

Dubbilex calmly walked out. Behind him, Clark Kent sat at the table, studying the disk in his hand.

As Superboy slammed into Match, Wonder Girl had lowered herself to a nearby roof. “Mom, I need to get you out of here,” she said as she scooped up her mother and launched into flight.

“You’re not going back,” Helena said.

“I’ve got to,” Wonder Girl replied. “Connor needs me. And I owe it to Guardian.”

”Then he’s…,” Helena began.

“Yes,” Wonder Girl said as she landed. She kissed her mother on the cheek. “I’ll be back soon,” she said as she took off again.

Match was reeling under the assault. He threw a lucky punch that connected, sending Superboy flying out of control across the sky. He was just preparing to follow when something slammed into his back.

“Leave us alone!” Wonder Girl yelled. Still pushing him from behind, she directed him into a building face-first. She backed off and cocked her fist as debris slowly fell from the new hole.

Match slowly crawled from the hole and dragged himself to his feet. A sick smile was on his face. “At last,” he said. “Die.” Cassie screamed as she was enveloped in his heat vision and began to burn.

“CASSIE!” Superboy screamed as he flew at top speed and used his own body to block the deadly beams. A stunned Wonder Girl, freed from the assault, began to tumble from the sky. Superboy gently caught her and flew her to a nearby roof. He laid her down and checked to make sure that she was breathing.

Rage crossed his features as he pulled off his smoldering jacket and threw it aside. “You’re going down,” he vowed as he launched forward to attack Match again.

Match was ready, but his eyes widened as a small light on his bracelet began flashing. “Another time, boy,” he said as he grabbed Superboy in midair and threw him. Superboy slammed into the roof near Wonder Girl. “Give my regards to Guardian,” Match laughed as he faded into nothingness.

“Jim?” Superboy asked. “Jim’s here?” He turned to see that Wonder Girl was also beginning to sit up. “Where’s Jim?”

Wonder Girl turned to him with tears in her eyes. “Oh, Connor,” she whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Superboy grabbed hold of Wonder Girl as she explained what had happened. The two young lovers simply sat on the roof and cried together.

Back at Cadmus, Amanda Spence smiled as a hidden hatchway in her office whirred open. Match materialized before her.

“I was unable to destroy her,” he reported, looking uncomfortable.

Amanda Spence smiled. “I didn’t think you would have been able to,” she said. She stood and began circling him. “I knew that the brat had a date with her tonight so that he would interrupt your attack. Perhaps now he’ll be more open to my orders.” Spence turned and returned to her desk. “Excellent work,” she summarized. “Return to your hiding place and await further instructions.”

”I hear and obey,” Match said.

Miles away, Clark Kent shuffled through the papers he’d printed out. Another super-speed scan of them only reinforced the decision he’d had to make. It was time to go to Washington.

Next Issue: Superman’s meeting with Lex Luthor brings about a massive change at Cadmus! Foes are out! Friends return! And another threat begins to emerge…

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