Author: Brendan Sheehan | Banner: Vincent Rodger

“Sorry to have interrupted your lunch, S.” the giant of light said apologetically, leaning against a jagged mountain.

“Isphine,” the Last Son spoke between chunks of beef before swallowing and clearing his throat. “I had time to grab it after I saw the sign. You sure you don’t want some?”

“Nah, I hate manifesting a form. Feels like a headache in every part of your body, have no idea why the old guard insists on it.”

“Yeah, now that I say it out loud, doing it for half a Big Belly Double and fries is kind of stupid.” Clark said, sipping at a soda.

“That’s a terrible name. I would do that for anything but something called a Big Belly, ” the Land of Lighter said, stretching his shoulder as he regarded the horizon.

“I mean, it’s memorable.”

“‘Come on down and eat Big Belly, don’t you want a Big Belly, kids? Oh, honey, get me a Big Belly!’” The young legend prattled on in a variety of voices, before tilting his head so his yellow lenses side-eyed the smaller hero. “I mean, you’re hearing this, right?”

“Well, yeah, but it’s common knowledge. I mean, I’m sure people at home don’t blink hearing about “Emerium Beam”, “Eye Slugger”, “Color Timer”, but-”

“Because those are good names. We don’t call it “Gonna Die Timer”.” The giant alien gestured.

“That is not the same, Zip!” The Kryptonian stammered, turning to the blue titan.

“‘Slashy Head Thing’. And you know I hate that nickname.”

“It’s a good nickname, it reflects your actual name. Anyway, you are being overly-”

“‘Blow Up Good Beam’.”

“Darn it, alright, it’s a bad name!” the Man of Steel shook his head in frustration as he raised his hands. He sighed and leaned further into the crater edge he found himself on, glaring at a triumphant chuckle to his left.

A long moment passed for the two heroes waiting in the valley. Nothing but the sound of wind blowing grey ash and the stretching sky lit with purple swirls and white dots. The horizon they watched remained, the mountains touching the endless night as they looked on, patient.

“How long did those folks say it would be?” The Smallville native spoke, picking at a dab of ketchup with a cold fry.

“In Earth time, twenty minutes. But they got a lot coming so…” A blue hand flip flopped as the son of Seven leaned against the side of the mountain, one leg stretching. He stopped to wave off dust forming on his mantle as he regarded the area.

Standing up, Metropolis’ protector knelt down and grabbed a couple of rocks from the edge of the crater he sat upon. Tossing one in a firm but gentle hand, he narrowed his blue eyes before he tossed it. It clinked against the ground, once, twice and then disappeared in the distance. Flashing a warm smile, he continued with the rest laying upon the ground, making further and further distance with a snap of a blue clad arm. His titanic ally lazily watched him with waning interest. Eventually, the pile disappeared and the sentinel sighed as he let his cape wave. Still looking in the distance, he spoke.

“So…how’s your dad?”

The azure protector snorted, scratching at his silver chest armor as he looked off. “He’s Dad. Always proud papa in private and the commander disapproving of ‘your unnecessarily dangerous methods!’ in public.”

“That’s frustrating. I’m sorry.” He turned to regard him with a disappointed look, only to be waved off by a giant hand.

“Ah, it’s how he shows his love. Older generation, you know?” His crested head turned to his friend. “Speaking of, though, how are your parents?”

The Big Blue Boyscout froze in place, curl in his hair bouncing before becoming still. “…My..?”

“Yeah, uh. What do you call them…Ma and Pa?” Despite a permanent face expression, the tone of the echoing voice seemed to cringe a bit at the antiqued term.

“Oh!” Clark seemed to relax as he shook his head. “Yeah, they’re…they’re good! Just saw them, calving season is coming so they need my help, you know? But good.”

The larger alien did not know but did note his ally’s strange reaction. He debated asking but decided against it. They had a battle coming soon and his experience told him bringing up that sort of thing might throw him off balance. He didn’t want to make things worse.

He decided to change the subject, clearing his throat. “Right. Good to hear. And your cousin?”

“Ah, typical Kara. I only just saw her a few weeks ago. Took Krypto too so…Fortress is quiet.”

“Oh, good, so no bruises for a bit.” His silver mouth would have smirked if it could.

“Hey, now, he’s…getting…maybe a little bit better.” Clark said, a stage whisper as he looked down at his shined red boots.

The stoic silver face of the Ultra could not have been more deadpan as it turned to the right, casting a slight shadow over the metahuman.

“I mean. It’s marginal but- anyway, how’s Zett?”

The Ultra sighed in frustration as he leaned back against the mountain. “Driving me nuts, is how he’s doing.”

“Pushing back against what you’re teaching him? Dealt with that with the interns a bit.”

“He’s not my disciple, so it’s not that.” The Land of Lighter said as he wedged his finned head into the cliff face, missing an eye roll from his smaller friend. “He keeps sneaking off from our sparring sessions and rushing around secretly. I don’t know if he’s working on some secret technique or seeing someone or what but it’s driving me up the wall.”

“Have you tried talking to him?” The farmboy stated, crossing his arms as he pondered it with a quirked brow.

“Oh, yeah.” The emissary from M78 chuckled darkly. “That’d go great. ‘N-no, Master Zero! I would never! I am just trying to live up to your ideals!’ Even now, he’s still too starstruck to talk to me.”

Clark frowned deeply at the bitter tone of his massive friend and thought for a moment before clapping his hands. “So, make it even. You said you’ve been sparring. Bring it up after then. Nothing that clears your head better than even grounds. Had that happen with…a friend of mine.”

The red marked giant of light was still for a moment but eventually, nodded, looking towards Kent and speaking with a grateful tone to his projection voice. “Maybe that will work. Thanks, S-”

Any further conversation was cut off by the bars of a heavy guitar riff echoing through the void. The smaller hero jumped back and suddenly disappeared to the crater in a streak of blue and cloud of ash. Digging within the stellar rock, he pulled out a cellphone and held it up to his ear.

“Hey! Yeah, yeah, no, I uh…I got caught up in a thing. Yeah, I know. I know. No, not with the Justice Gang, it’s actually with another alien, uh, Ultr- Uh, Zip.”

“Hi, Lois! That’s not my name!” An armored arm waved out with an echo.

“He says hi. Yeah, he’s the big guy. Yeah. Yeah. Yeaaaah. I don’t think I’ll be back in time, no. So if you could- oh you already worked it out with Jimmy? Thank you so much. I owe you, okay? I mean it. Yes, beef bourguignon from the place in Happy Harbor. I love you, too.”

The phone clicked and he sighed wistfully as he placed it with reverence back in the crater and turned around to regard the horizon. The boy born as Kal-El looked out with a smile…but felt something off. He slowly turned to his right to see his giant ally looking over with his arms crossed and his head tilting to give the impression of a wide grin. The soft grin turned into a quiet frown.

“What?”

“You’re at the “I love you” stage….” The powerful voice of the multiverse’s defender sing-songed.

If it was possible, a blush would have come to the farmboy’s face. “Dude, come on!”

“You know the Land of Light has some great places for a wedding~”

“Oh my gosh.” A hand that could crush concrete gripped a face in embarrassment.

“Zero is a gender-neutral kid’s name too, you kn-”

“Dude!” The caped wonder stood up, gesturing in frustration. “Come on! You’re 6,000 years old!”

“That’s about your age in Earth years, S. Come on, I’m only teasing.”

Clark sighed as he turned away, eventually sitting back in his chosen crater with a huff. A moment passed, with the prodigy chuckling to himself as he shook his head. After a moment, he turned and kicked his foot forward, dusting the Man of Steel in dust. The man sized hero shook himself and looked up in frustration as the redeemed outcast leaned forward.

“Seriously, I’m happy for you. Not everyone can find someone. Cherish it. Especially someone as spirited as she sounds.”

The Earth raised alien listened and smiled after a moment. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it. And yeah, she is pretty punk rock.”

“Punk rock?”

“Oh, it’s just…a thing we talked about. You know, like the musi-”

“I’m from the Land of Light but I’m aware. Mayu is obsessed with it now.” The gigantic hero said, shaking his head with fondness now. “Dragged me and Leito to so many bad concerts. Geez. Anyway, just didn’t think you’d like someone…punk rock.”

“What, why not? Is this a music thing again, I swear if I have to defend the Crabjoys again-” A finger pointed from the crater.

“Not what I meant,” The kaiju slayer said as he leaned forward, going into a thinking pose with his knee supporting his elbow as he laid a finger over his mouth. “Just..I always thought you’d prefer something stable. Two lives, two worlds you call home…too much for someone so spirited.”

“I mean..that’s kind of what made me fall in love with her,” The defender of truth and justice said, leaning his own elbow against the crater’s edge. “I always try to be the best for everyone, so…I see the best in everyone. She…she considers everything. She said she’s a realist and a cynic but…”

“But?”

“I think we do see the same thing. I see the good in everyone because I believe in them. She sees the good in the world and looks out for the things that can ruin it. We compliment each other, because we’re both looking for the same thing. A better tomorrow. That my p- that we always wanted.”

Silence stretched for a while. The blue titan nodded his head. It truly was beautiful. But there was that hesitation again..

The giant of light debated bringing it up once more but decided to avoid it as he nodded his head.

“Beautiful.”

A curl bounced in perfect hair as the Man of Steel smirked and shrugged. “I am a reporter.”

“Ah, yes, the warm hearted and the punk rock reporter.”

“I’m punk rock!”

“You are not. And it’s not a music thing. I know because I’m punk rock.” The Ultra said, placing a blue hand atop his silver protected chest.

“What makes you punk rock but not me?” The flying optimist asked, tossing a rock halfheartedly.

“Because I’m an alien giant who got kicked out for breaking the law and literally disobeying my father, came back to save the day, and now am its lauded defender?” His finned head tilted in response as an open fist snatched the rock and tossed it casually.

“…that is pretty punk.” The Kryptonian said, placidly.

Satisfied, the Land of Lighter tossed the rock off in the distance, leaning back against the cliff as it flew off. With vision intense enough to go through solid rock, the Kryptonian watched it fly off and bounce against a mountain, startling an alien creature with six wings and eight legs to fly off. He nodded and sat back thinking.

“Hey. Zip.”

“Hmm?” The giant alien looked down, ignoring the nickname for once.

The Man of Steel looked down, unsure. Hands dug into the gray ash, as he sighed.

“Alright, S?” The Ultra stood looking down. After a moment, he cocked his head and sighed dramatically. “Please don’t ask about my love life, I get enough of that from Grandaunt Marie-”

“That wasn’t what I was going to- why would..whatever!” He sighed and took a shaky breath before he stood up and regarded the titan ally. “Did you mean that earlier?”

His yellow eyes gleamed as he cocked. “Mean…what?”

“That…it’s pretty punk to stand up to your parents?” The cape seemed to hide the man as he looked down into the ash.

The giant of light started to inquire why his friend would say this…

And then it clicked.

He should have known. He had heard from the Green Lanterns of a disaster reported from that tool Guy. The fear when his parents were mentioned. What he had heard from the rest of Zero Force of other Kryptons. The Ultra sighed internally. He would have to get him to actually talk after this, but for now….

The giant alien tilted his head back and then after a moment looked back, before nodding and shooting a gesture with an extended thumb and pinkie.

“Yeah. It’s very punk rock.”

The Last Son smiled kindly. He knew his friend knew. And from one in similar shoes, it helped.

“Thanks, man.”

The two sat back down and regarded the sweeping horizon. A comet lit the sky, blue crossing through the purple and white.

“….would you say I’m more or less punk then a certain gentleman from Gotha-”

A hellish roar echoed through the valley, sending both heroes to their feet. The ground, black and molten, cracked with the gray ash flying as a nightmarish beast stuck its fang filled jaws from the ground. It screeched, dragging its thick body out to reveal a metallic harness on top of it, a screeching army of soldiers atop whipping and pointing. From behind it, the ground burst to reveal another, and another. And from the mountains, thick crafts flew down, energy coursing to keep them afloat. From the largest, an armored general snarled and pointed with an alien curse.

Standing firm, a sigil of hope gleaming against the moon as a crimson cape billowed, Superman turned to his ally.

“Right. Ready, Zip?”

Ultraman Zero flipped his blue mantle and turned, a gleam in his yellow eyes as his Sluggers shined.

“Race ya there, S?”

The Big Blue Boy Scout smiled.

And then, they were off.