Neverland
The remaining four boys waited as Tommy had returned most of the boys that were trapped in Neverland to their bodies in the real world, and was starting to get worn out. Jon could tell he was getting visibly weaker each trip.
"Something's wrong," Jon said as he held onto the older teen named Derek after having watched Tommy take the next boy back to the real world. "He's taking longer and longer to get back each time."
"I think we might be putting too much strain on his soul with all of these trips," Dean said as he stood in the portal with Ricky. "He could die if he doesn't get back to his body."
"There's only four of us left, what do we do?" Ricky asked. "How do we beat the King if we can't get back to our bodies?"
"I have an idea," Derek told them. He was the oldest of all the boys that the King had taken at seventeen-years-old with wavy brown hair with sideburns. Up to this point he had said few words to anyone, having always been a shy person. "If you guys trust me."
The remaining four boys waited as Tommy had returned most of the boys that were trapped in Neverland to their bodies in the real world, and was starting to get worn out. Jon could tell he was getting visibly weaker each trip.
"Something's wrong," Jon said as he held onto the older teen named Derek after having watched Tommy take the next boy back to the real world. "He's taking longer and longer to get back each time."
"I think we might be putting too much strain on his soul with all of these trips," Dean said as he stood in the portal with Ricky. "He could die if he doesn't get back to his body."
"There's only four of us left, what do we do?" Ricky asked. "How do we beat the King if we can't get back to our bodies?"
"I have an idea," Derek told them. He was the oldest of all the boys that the King had taken at seventeen-years-old with wavy brown hair with sideburns. Up to this point he had said few words to anyone, having always been a shy person. "If you guys trust me."
ISSUE #17 (August 2018)
Written by Tobias Christopher Featuring: Superman
Superboy
Power Boy
Lois Lane
Toyman
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"THE KING OF FABLES - PART FOUR"Billy Batson was trying to get home as fast as he could after spending the day volunteering at a soup kitchen, something he usually did at least once a week. Harnessing the power of the wizard Shazam had opened his heart to the plight of others, and now he spent at least one day a week helping the less fortunate.
"Help!" Tiny Tim said as he lay in an alley. "Someone help!" Billy turned around and came running toward the alley. "Where are you?" "Here!" Tiny Tim shouted as Billy rushed to help him, kneeling down and trying to help the boy up. "Are you injured?" Billy asked. "No, I just wanted to do this," Tiny Tim said as he put his palm on Billy's head, causing him to instantly fall into his trance. "Got you." Superman woke up with mystic chains around his waist and hands, keeping him bound and kneeling on the concrete. Tommy and Huck were still unconscious as Peter Pan in Jon's body stood watch over them. "The King will return soon with our newest brother," Peter said as he looked down at Superman. "Then he will deal with these two traitors." "Jon, you have to listen to me," Superman said. "I know my son is in there somewhere. You need to fight the King's control over you. Jon would never do these kinds of things. You're stronger than this, son. I know you can beat this." "You're talking to someone who is very, very far away," Peter told him. "Jon's not even in this body. He's in the King's storybook with the rest of the poor souls who exchanged their pathetic lives for an eternity in Neverland. Don't shed tears for them, however. They'll never age, they'll never starve. They'll live an eternity of peace and contentment and adventure. That is what the King wishes to do to this world. He'll make it so that no one ever suffers again. Under his rule, we will all be eternal." "He's lying to you," Superman said. "He has you under a spell. You can be so much better than this, Jo-- Peter. You can be your own hero, write your own destiny without his influence." As Superman tried to talk to Peter, Tommy's soul returned to his own body. As with the rest of the boys who'd returned to the real world, the storybook character within his body quickly merged with his real soul, forming something new. A new soul that was a mixture of Tommy's soul and Tom Sawyer's sense of mischief and adventure. "I hope Tommy made it back to his body," Jon said as he sat on the beach. "He looked like he might not have had the energy to get Derek back to where he belongs. Ricky, are you okay?" "I just miss my Dad," Ricky said as he sat next to Jon, crying as he had his arms around his knees. "He must be so worried about me. I'd just talked to him over the phone when I met the King. What if my Dad stops looking for me? What if he... forgets about me?" Jon put an arm around Ricky's shoulder. "Your Dad loves you, Ricky. Maybe more than mine, I don't know. But I do know that when a father loves his son, he never EVER gives up hope. I know my Dad won't stop trying to bring me home, and neither will yours, or Dean's. We're going to get out of this place, and I promise you that the second we get back and your Dad sees you, he's going to hug you so tightly that you won't be able to breathe." "You're pretty upbeat for a kid that had his soul trapped in a storybook." Ricky said. "I get it from my Dad." A screaming was heard as Jon looked over to see Billy Batson crashing into the sand. "Damn, he got another one," Jon said as he raced over to the new boy. "Are you alright?" "Where am I?" Billy asked as Jon and Ricky helped him stand up. "Sit right back and you'll hear a tale," Dean told him in a bored tone. "A tale of a fateful trip." "Wake up, Westley," the King said as he snapped his fingers. Billy opened his eyes and looked at his hands. "I am ready to serve you, my King." "NO!" Tommy shouted as he pushed Tiny Tim into a wall, knocking him out. "I won't let you take any more souls!" "Too late, boy," the King said as he looked at Billy. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways and you part with your life. Westley, punch him so hard your fist comes out of the other side of his skull." "As you wish," Billy said as he cracked his knuckles and punched Tommy, but instead of killing Tommy, he only gave the other boy a bloody nose before Billy reeled his fist back in pain. "OW!" "Tiny Tim, you assured me this boy has power!" "This body does have power, I can sense it," Billy said. "But the way access it, it's being blocked along all of this boy's memories. There's a more powerful force guarding this subconscious. It's like the second I arrived, everything that this Billy Batson knows was locked away and I can't find a way to access it." "Find a way," the King said as he charged up his fist with eldritch magic. "I'll finish this boy myself." The King fired his magic at Tommy, but just before the blast hit him, a portal opened up in front of the boy. The blast went through, coming out of another portal that had opened up behind the King. The King of Fables flew forward as a larger portal opened next to Tommy as Derek stepped out, followed by every boy that had been returned to his body. "You weren't supposed to start the party until we got here," Derek smirked as he playfully punched Tommy's shoulder. "Struggle all you want with those mystic chains," Peter said as he stood over Superman with his blade. "You can not break them. Perhaps if you had my new special dagger, now blessed with the King's magic, you could. This could probably cut through anything, even your own super strong skin." "Can I test that theory?" Huck asked as he picked Peter up and tossed him into a dumpster, causing him to drop the dagger. Huck grabbed it and looked at Superman. "Hold still, sir." With a couple of quick slices, the mystic chains dissolved as Superman stood up. "Thank you, Huck. Now, let's go help our friends." The King of Fables found himself surrounded by all of the boys he'd trapped within his storybook while Tiny Tim was still unconscious on the sidewalk. "It's over, King," Tommy said. "Your army's turned against you. Hand over the storybook and maybe we'll let you off easy." "There are other storybooks I can use to achieve my goals," the King said as he held the book up. "I know there are still four boys who haven't been rescued. If I destroy the book, I destroy their souls. No Heaven, no Hell, just an eternity of pain in a neverending fire." "Don't do it!" Tommy shouted as Superman grabbed the King's arm, taking the book from him. "This ends now," Superman said as he lifted the King into the air by his collar. "Bring the other boys back, now!" "You can't scare a God, boy," the King told him with a vicious smirk. "I can destroy you and every one of these unworthy creatures. There are many, many more Lost Boys out there I can replace them with." "Derek, can you open one last portal?" Tommy asked, taking the older boy aside. "Depends, what are you thinking?" Derek asked. "It's a long-shot, but if it works, I can save the others," Tommy said. "But there's one catch and you have to promise me one thing, Derek. You have to swear to me on this." "Tommy, what are you--" "PROMISE ME!" Tommy shouted. "Okay, okay, I promise," Derek said. "What do you need me to do?" "You can punch me all you want, boy, but you'll never hurt me," the King told him. "I'm immortal and as long as I have these boys in my book, you'll never--" The King was cut off by Peter flying in and grabbing Superman, forcing him to drop the King. Superman wrestled with his son while trying to keep Peter from stabbing him with the mystically powered dagger. "NOW!" Tommy shouted as he astral projected out of his body and jumped into the King's body. "Please let this work," Derek said as he looked at the possessed King, who was now fighting against Tommy's soul. Tommy forced the King to open a portal to Neverland as Derek looked at the other boys. "Get them out!" Derek shouted in the King's southern drawl. "Hurry!" A small group of the other boys quickly sped through the portal, bringing the souls of the four trapped boys out, where they quickly re-merged with their bodies. "Dad?" Jon said as he realized that he was about to stab his father through the heart. He dropped the dagger and started breaking down. "I'm sorry, Dad. I'm so sorry." "It's okay, Jon," Superman said as he hugged the boy. "It's going to be alright." As Tommy struggled for control of the body he was possessing, he looked at Jon with a smile. "Thanks for being my friend." Tommy said as he jumped into the portal to Neverland in the King's body. "NO!" Jon shouted as the portal closed. Before he could get to the book, Derek grabbed it and opened one last portal, remembering the promise he'd made to Tommy. A tear fell down his cheek as he tossed the book in, closing the portal as Jon grabbed Derek by his shirt. "What did you do!?" "He made me promise," Derek said, his voice breaking. "He's going to keep the King trapped in that book for as long as he can. But even if he makes it out, the King's going to find himself in the deepest trench at the bottom of the ocean where he'll never hurt anyone again." "So... Tommy's gone?" Ricky asked. "He sacrificed himself to keep the rest of us safe," Derek said. "He knew what he had to do and made me promise I'd help keep the King of Fables locked away. I'm sorry, I had no other choice. He was a madman and--" "Sometimes we have to make the hard choices," Ricky said as he put a hand on Derek's shoulder. "You did what you had to." "Billy, are you okay?" Superman whispered to Billy after taking him aside. "How come he couldn't use your powers?" "You think this is the first time someone's tried to hijack me for my powers?" Billy asked. "I learned a long time ago how to keep my secrets safe in case of things like this. Even if he was in my mind, he'd never know what the magic word is. Uh... can someone get me an ice pack? I feel like I broke my hand on something." S.T.A.R. Labs "How long will these machines keep him alive?" Jon asked as he looked through the window at Tommy's comatose body in the bed. He was still in his Peter Pan outfit, but Clark had gotten him a long sleeved shirt to put on that reached down to his knees. "As long as they have to," Clark promised Jon. "Tomorrow I'll start putting in calls with the League's mystic connections. If there's a way to get Tommy out of that book without releasing the King, we'll find it. In the meantime, all the boys have been returned home except for Ricky. But the police have notified his father and--" "Ricky!" a voice shouted from the end of the hall. A man in his late 30's rushed in, grabbing Ricky and hugging him so tightly that he couldn't breathe. "Told you," Jon smirked under his breath. "Richard?" Clark asked as the man turned around. "Richard White?" "Clark Kent?" Richard asked as he smiled and immediately shook Clark's hand. "I haven't seen you since the last reunion!" "Ricky's your son?" "My pride and joy," Richard told him. "I've been killing myself trying to find him. I haven't slept in weeks. And who's this big guy?" "This is my boy, Jon," Clark told him. "I thought you still lived in Smallville." "I do, I run the Smallville Gazette," Richard said. "I'm going to be in Metropolis another few days, we should really catch up before I take Ricky back home." "I'd like that," Clark said as he saw Jon staring through the window at Tommy. Ricky came up to Jon as both watched Tommy together. "You still feel a bit of Peter Pan in you? Because I definitely feel Huck Finn's personality with me now." Ricky said. "I feel really different now. Like I want to go out and make a difference with my powers." "Yeah, part of me loves to fly even more than I did yesterday. I wonder if Tommy's still got Tom Sawyer in him somewhere, keeping him fighting until we can get his soul back. I promised him we'd go fishing this weekend," Jon said. "Now he's here and I can't make good on that. I feel horrible that he's trapped with that evil man. He was my friend and I couldn't save him." "I love fishing," Ricky said. "There's this pond in Smallville that I love going to every weekend. Maybe we can get together sometime and hang out. And when Tommy gets better we can take him along." "I think Tommy would like that. Your dad said you're going to be here another few days," Jon said. "What are you doing this Saturday?' As the two boys talked, Tommy lay in the bed, a part of Tom Sawyer still alive deep within his subconscious, even if Tommy's soul was no longer there. Elsewhere in Metropolis, Derek was sitting on his bed, staring at his hands. "Tommy's gone because of me," Derek said to himself. "I promise I'll never hurt anyone with these powers again. From now on, I'm going to use them to help people. Maybe I could even be a superhero. But what kind of good could I do with the power to make portals?" A car alarm went off as Derek raced to the window, seeing a carjacker trying to break into a neighbor's car. Moments later as a police car drove down a nearby street, a portal opened in the roof as the carjacker fell into the backseat. "Watch out world, here comes... that... portal... making... guy," Derek said to himself while smiling. "I'll work on the name." England The Toyman's robotic androids of the Shining Twins had Power Boy trapped with their steel cable jump ropes, squeezing the hero tighter and tighter. "Play with us, Superman," the twins said in unison. "For ever and ever and ever." "I'm not Superman," Power Boy said as he struggled. "I'm POWER BOY!" Giving a good spin, he started twirling around at super speed until the twin androids hit the wall at a hundred miles per hour, shattering them on impact. Power Boy stopped spinning and broke free of the ropes. He immediately flew toward the door, shattering it as he pursued the Toyman. "Please, I just want to go home!" Vigo shouted as the Toyman pulled him along the tunnel. "I don't want to be King!" "You'll change your tune, child," Toyman said through the sadistic smile on his doll head. "Once I transplant your skin onto an android duplicate to make the perfect version of you. You'll be the ultimate toy that I'll use to make England my own personal playland." "You're mad!" Vigo shouted. "On the contrary, I'm about to be the happiest person in the world." Toyman said. "And once I'm ruling England through you, I'll have the resources to bring my wayward son back home to me once I find him. It seems that the GPS chip I put into him has malfunctioned." Central City "Think fast!" Jase Allen shouted at the breakfast table, tossing a grapefruit at Adam, who was at the sink cleaning the dishes and beaning him upside the head. The hit knocked a GPS chip loose as Adam spit it out of his mouth and into his hand. "That's odd," Adam said as looked at the chip. "Perhaps I can reinsert this. Hopefully it's not import--" "Think fast!" Jase shouted as an orange flew at Adam's head, causing him to drop the chip down the running garbage disposal. As Toyman continued dragging Vigo along, Power Boy crashed through the ceiling and landed in front of them. "No more games, Toyman!" Power Boy shouted as he grabbed the villain by the collar of his vest. "Let the boy go!" "Okay," Toyman told him as he pushed a button on a remote, letting snakes loose in the tunnel below. "I've just released twenty venemous snakes into the tunnel directly below us. One bite and you'll have twenty minutes to administer the anti-venom. But any more bites than that--" The Toyman opened a trap door that Vigo fell through. Power Boy tossed the Toyman aside and flew down the shaft, catching Vigo just before he slammed into the large gathering of snakes just as the hatch closed. "Hang on," Power Boy said as he punched the hatch as hard as he could. By the time he flew back up, the Toyman was gone. "Damn." "I just want to go home." Vigo cried as he held onto Power Boy tightly. "Another time, Toyman." Power Boy promised as he flew Vigo out of the tunnel and headed back toward the palace. "Vigo, are you okay?" Frederick asked as he hugged Vigo tightly. "Did he hurt you?" "He wanted to cut my skin off and put it on a robot version of me," Vigo said. "But Power Boy saved me." "I owe you my life, as well as my brother's," Frederick said as he looked at Power Boy. "I am forever in your debt. As well as yours, Mrs. Lane." "You don't owe me anything," Power Boy told him. "I'm just glad I was able to get him back home safely." "I'm being crowned as the new king soon when the Queen retires," Frederick said as he looked solely at Power Boy. "I wish for the two of you to be my guests of honor at the ceremony. As the start of stronger relations with America." "We'd be honored," Lois told him. "Won't we, Power Boy?" "Yes, Ma-- Mrs. Lane," Power Boy said. "We'll be there." "And of course, you are both welcome to bring... significant others such as your husband," Frederick said as he looked at Lois. "I would like to meet Mr. Kent. I have read much of his work as well. And what of you, Power Boy? Do you have... a significant other?" "Well, uh, not exactly," Power Boy blushed. "Not currently." "A handsome man such as yourself will surely find someone," Frederick said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I must meet with the head of the Royal Guard and address how easily they were taken out today." "You know, if you need extra security for your crowning, I could lend a hand," Power Boy told him as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean, it'd be good experience in learning how to do security for future missions." "Very well, be here at dawn." Frederick said as he gently kissed Lois's hand. "Farewell, Mrs. Lane. I look forward to seeing you again." Epilogue The Fortress of Solitude Jon was sleeping soundly on a cot with a blanket over him as he regained his strength from the adventure he'd just been through while his father was busy in the next room. Superman was updating his log on criminals he'd faced and would most likely face again. He kept updated files on all of his enemies so he'd know what he was dealing with if they returned to try to harm him or his family again, or if an ally needed information on how to deal with one of his rogues that was trying their gimmicks in another city. He'd just completed a file on the King of Fables when an alert sounded on an alien life form entering the atmosphere. "Computer, what kind of life form is it?" Superman asked. It is... Kryptonian. Matching DNA with those of known Kryptonians in the database. As the results showed up on the screen, Superman was given a pleasant surprise. "Well, what do you know?" (Head on over to Girl of Steel of #6 for more! -TC) |