m/m The Mission

[AT2000]

Here's another Super Hero themed story that I don't think I ever posted on the old forum.

 

The Mission

 

Both Sam and I tried to simultaneously look cool and scurry the last few yards to make it across yet another large intersection before the onslaught of automobiles could get up to speed after the traffic light changed.

 

We weren't very successful - at looking cool I mean.

 

Well, at least I wasn't.  Sam on the other hand always looked cool.

 

Even so, most of the city residents around us - were they of a mind to pay attention to anyone else on the street - would have spotted the two of us as out-of-towners in pretty short order.  When you are a couple of small-town guys settling in as freshmen at the city's most prestigious university, getting used to new things is almost a full time occupation.  Being pedestrians on the hyper-busy city streets was just another adjustment to be made.

 

My name is Will Miller.  My friend, Sam Munson and I were both the lucky recipients of full athletic scholarships and beginning our first year of post-secondary study in the big city.  We'd known each other since grade-school and had pretty much been best-friends from the first day we'd met.

 

We had quickly become a couple of those persistently paired kids whose names gradually melded into a familiar, collectively identifying phrase like "Ben and Jerry" or "Bert and Ernie".  Where ever one was, you could usually be sure the other wasn't far off.

 

Sam and Will.

 

And just like his name's appearance in the order of that collective moniker, Sam was always number one.  He excelled at just about everything he put his mind to.  We had similar interests and abilities and though I was always very proficient and capable at whatever endeavor I might undertake, Sam was always better.

 

The degree to which that was true had become apparent so clearly and so early in our friendship that I had long since come to terms with my role as 'wingman' and harbored no bitterness about it.  In fact, trying to keep pace with Sam as we grew up together probably drove me to be a more accomplished student and athlete than I would have otherwise become had I never met him.  I like to think that being pushed by me, hot on his heels as the determined, perpetual runner-up in life had helped to make Sam a little better too.

 

But that was probably a conceit.  Sam never seemed 'pushed' or threatened by anything.   He wasn't cocky, really - he was too reserved for that.  He had a kind of innate, confident detachment that gave him that aura of unflappable cool that I mentioned earlier.

 

This meant that Sam could be a hard one to read, even for me.  Playing poker with Sam was like being systematically fleeced by one of those inscrutable heads from Easter Island.  The guy would probably clean house in a tournament.

 

As I've said, I never really begrudged Sam his successes, even when - as was most always the case - those successes meant that I came in second best.   But one aspect of our lifelong, friendly competition did occasionally rankle me ever so slightly.  While I would exhaust myself training or studying for months in order to make my best effort at something, Sam often seemed to just go through the motions.

 

I mean, it's not like he was a slacker or anything, he would be there at the gym just as often as I would be;  he would check out similar kinds of reference material and the same books.  But I rarely noticed him actually reading any of them.  I  don't think I ever saw the guy actually break a sweat but still, there he would always be - accepting that ribbon for first place.

 

I slowed to a stop, gawking at a window display at an electronics store.  The latest shiny toys from Apple beckoned seductively.  I had almost enough money for an entry level model in my bank account just for the purpose of buying a new laptop for school.

 

"That's not the mission, Will."  Sam called, breaking the spell of my gadget-lust.  I turned to see him further up the street, slowly walking backwards, waiting for me to catch up.

 

Once Sam started talking about 'the mission', there was no deterring him, whatever the mission might be at any particular moment.  Right now it was making it to the start of a movie on time.

 

I trotted to catch up as we rounded the corner and headed down the block to the movie theater.  There was a line of maybe a couple dozen people outside the actual entrance.

 

"At least the line isn't around the block,"  I offered.  "Sometimes the fans for these superhero flicks can be a little intense".

 

As for me and movies based on comic books, I could take 'em or leave 'em.  But Sam never missed one.  He would watch them intently - almost like he was listening to an academic lecture.

 

Before our arrival, the end of the line was occupied by a couple of girls who looked to be around our age.  They seemed none too happy to be there.

 

"I'm not going to wait much longer."  One was saying to the other.

 

"How late are they?"  The other of the book-end blonds demanded with exasperation.

 

"Almost twenty minutes.  Do you really want to see this dorky movie if it's just us?  C'mon lets get out of here."

 

The four of us exchanged perfunctory nods and smiles as Sam and I joined the line.

 

The girl that had suggested they leave was suddenly pulled back into line by the other.  "Maybe we won't have to see it alone, after all."  She said, casting a devilish glance at Sam and myself.

 

Sam and I had both always been considered handsome enough.  With the slight edge going to Sam of course.  And the fact that we were both longtime accomplished gymnasts meant that our muscular builds were detectable no matter our attire.  Focused as he was on obtaining our tickets before show-time, Sam didn't notice the girl's flirtation alert level shift into defcon-1, but I saw it coming.

 

"So, Hello boys."  began the bolder of the two girls.  "If you two are joining someone here, hope you don't get stood up like we apparently have been."

 

"Umm, no."  Sam replied.  It took him a moment to realize the young woman was talking to the two of us.  "We aren't meeting anyone."

 

"Well,"  The girl smiled, invitingly.  "I think you just did.  I'm Lisa and this is Sonya."

 

Before either of us could respond, an ear-splitting police siren blared to life only a few car-lengths down the street from our position - close enough and loud enough to startle even the most jaded resident of Metropolis.  Everyone in line turned reflexively to watch as the cop-car left its spot in the traffic lane and began to weave its way along through any break it could find in the river of cars around it.  It had no more than worked its way a half a block along when a fire engine came wailing along to fall in behind the police car.  Neither vehicle was going to make it anywhere fast.

 

That's when we got our first sighting.

 

Everyone says that you don't feel like a true resident of Metropolis until your first, in-the-flesh sighting of Superman in action.

 

It happened so fast that at first, I wasn't sure WHAT I was seeing.

 

A purplish blurr hurtled from far down the street opposite the direction in which the emergency response vehicles were trying to go.  It vanished beneath the fire engine.

 

Suddenly, Sam started in that direction, apparently no longer interested in the movie.  He was moving fast.

 

"Hey,"  I called as I ran after him.  "Wait up."

 

Then, like someone mimicking the Statue of Liberty, suddenly Superman stood amidst the gridlock.  Only instead of a torch, he was holding the fire truck - with one hand and a super-humanly muscular arm that looked as though hefting the weight of a mere multi-tonne piece of firefighting equipment was not even a decent warm-up.

 

Sam skidded to a stop on the sidewalk opposite where Superman stood in the street.  A half-second later, I caught up to Sam.  I was panting a little.  I had really had to run flat-out to keep Sam in sight and he had still been pulling away from me pretty steadily.  If he hadn't stopped when he had, I might have lost him in the crowd.

 

I grabbed him by his upper arm forcefully, trying to get his attention.  "What the heck is up with you?"  I had never known Sam to be this excitable about anything.

 

As I confronted Sam, Superman rose into the air, slowly at first, so as not to shake-up the firemen too much, then soared on over the traffic, picking up speed fast, obviously intending to get the truck to its destination more quickly.

 

Sam didn't even look at me.  His eyes never left Superman.  "You should let go."  He said, absently.

 

I felt the muscles of his arm flex.  Sam had biceps an Olympian might envy and when he flexed you knew it, but I also felt something else from his arm.  It was like he was vibrating or full of electricity or something.

 

I barely had time to register the strange sensation before Sam bolted again.  He took off with such speed and force that it nearly yanked my arm out of its socket.  I stumbled a few steps after him as though swept along in his wake before I was able to find my balance again.  I stared after him, stunned and surprised as I rubbed my aching shoulder.

 

But Sam was nowhere in sight.

 

I took off at a trot, not really sure if I was heading in the right direction.  I glanced around to see if I could spot him as I moved, unwilling to believe that he'd managed to move clean out of sight so quickly.  I slowed to a frustrated walk and was about to give up when I saw the smoke.

 

It had to be three or four blocks away; a column of dingy, dark gray against the brilliant blue sky.

 

If Sam was after Superman and Superman was heading toward that fire then I figured that would be where I'd find him.

 

I rotated my arm around my traumatized shoulder joint and winced at the pain.  I thought I knew Sam's limits as far as strength and speed as well as anyone.  I knew he was an impressive guy, but the ache in my shoulder and the way he had so easily outpaced me left me wondering if maybe my friend really had been holding back all these years.

 

I set off toward the fire.

 

As I weaved my way through the dense pedestrian traffic, I was baffled by how Sam must have moved at such speed through so many people.

 

I stripped off the long-sleeved shirt I was wearing, leaving only one of the white, "wife-beater" undershirts I liked to wear.  I found these shirts a reasonable balance between being able to show off a bit when things got a little warm, and not seeming too obvious about wanting to do so.  Also, if I wanted to elbow my way through the crowd of spectators that was gathering, looking a little bit intimidating wasn't going to hurt.

 

As I made my way forward toward the curb, things started getting more chaotic.  Police were trying to move people back from a fairly large skyscraper, but there were too few officers available for the task to accomplish this.  Looking up, I saw no actual flames, but smoke was pouring from one side of the building.  Returning my attention to the crowd around me, I spotted Sam.  He was moving steadily toward the base of the stricken building, one of the few people still doing so.

 

Making sure the nearest cop wouldn't see me, I ducked under the line of yellow tape they had managed to partially string up and headed for Sam.

 

That's when I noticed something large come around the side of the smoking skyscraper.  At first I thought it was a helicopter, but then, through a break in the smoke, I saw that it was Superman.  Incredibly, he still had the fire tanker in one hand.  With the other, he was dousing the fire with the truck's powerful fire-hose.  He performed the impossible task with the same ease with which a gardener might spray weed-killer on his lawn with one of those hand pumped pressure sprayers.

 

His heroic task complete, The Man of Steel levitated himself and the tanker back to earth, landing near the truck's applauding crew.

 

Tearing my eyes away from this amazing scene, I turned my attention back to Sam.

 

I located him again, striding purposefully toward the firemen and Superman.  I couldn't explain why, but I was feeling very uneasy about the whole situation.  Sam was NOT one for hero-worship.  I couldn't figure out why he had fixated on Superman so intensely all of a sudden.

 

"Sam!"  I shouted as loud as I could to overcome the din.  I waved my arms frantically to get his attention.

 

For a moment, he turned and looked right at me and I saw recognition in his eyes.  Then he smiled ruefully and continued on toward the squad of firemen who were enthusiastically shaking hands with Superman.

 

"Crap!"  I didn't know what was going on, but I didn't like it.  I sprinted after him.  There was something about having Sam and Superman so close to each other that unsettled me on a fundamental level.  Sam didn't lose.  Sam never suffered by comparison.  Sam was at the superlative extreme in the way I viewed the world.  Considering Sam and Superman within the same framework was like pondering the old hypothetical conundrum of what happened when irresistible force met immovable object.

 

Of course, Sam wasn't in Superman's league and maybe that was the problem.  Maybe I didn't like having Sam toppled from his pedestal in my own little personal world view.

 

Sam slipped into the line of firemen that Superman was slowly making his way along, shaking hands as he went.  Within a couple of seconds, I had joined him there.

 

"Would you please tell me what the heck is going on with you?"  I asked.  "We shouldn't be here.  We are, in fact, probably gonna be in a world of trouble.  What are you trying to accomplish?"

 

"The Mission."  He informed me without looking at me.

 

I almost laughed.  "Typical.  Everything is a 'mission' with you."

 

Then Sam did turn and look at me.  He looked sad.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out why this might be, but I felt a strange, cold dread for no reason I could identify.

 

"Not anymore."  He explained.  The sadness in his expression melted away, replaced by a zen-like determination.  "Now I know what the mission is.  The real one."

 

"'Kay."  I said, as though humoring a crazy person.  "Have you, by any chance, halted some medication regimen that you shouldn't have."  I added sarcastically.

 

That's when Sam started undressing.

 

He had slowly and deliberately doffed his shirt and watch and was working on his belt before I could snap out of my shock.  I gathered up his shirt and his watch and then the belt that he had dropped indifferently to the sidewalk just as he unzipped and dropped his pants.

 

"Sam!  Cut it out."  I demanded as he stepped out of his jeans.  He stood and hooked his thumbs in the waistband of his briefs.  "I dropped the rest of his clothes back to the ground and grabbed him by his wrists before that final unveiling.  "Whoa, there Lady Godiva."  I grunted as I struggled to stop him.  "Sam!"  I yelled into his face, trying to get him to look at me.  "You are going to get yourself arrested.  How will that help the mission?"  I had finally decided that pretending to buy into whatever madness had come over him might be the only way to reason with him.

 

He looked at me, finally.  But I did not see the Sam I knew in his eyes.  "You are correct.  It will not.  The reaction this part of the protocol would induce in the authorities present might prove an unnecessary distraction.  There is no reason it cannot be postponed."

 

It was as I stood blinking dumbly at this odd response that I first noticed that we had an audience.

 

I stopped fighting Sam for control of his underwear and stepped back away from him, my face burning red.  "Umm...he's not feeling well."  I offered to Superman and the dozen or so gruff-looking firemen flanking him.

 

It was then that Sam stepped forward, coming face to face with Superman.  "Kal-El of the planet Krypton,  Your interference with the natural progression of events on this planet is at an end."

 

Superman's brow furrowed slightly, but at first, he said nothing.  The fireman however, all burst out laughing.

 

"Watch out Supes."  One of them offered between guffaws.  "Underwear-Model Man is gunnin' for ya."

 

"Yeah, what's YOUR superpower..."  another chimed in,  "If you are gonna dress like that and try to give Superman here a hard time..."  the big fireman continued as he stepped between Superman and Sam.  "...it had better be invulnerability to wedgies."

 

Superman intervened before the situation could escalate.  "Thank you sergeant, but I think I can handle this."  Superman said calmly, placing a hand on the fireman's shoulder and urging him to move away.

 

"In order to minimize disruption to denizens of this community, we should relocate before continuing."  Sam said, still giving Superman his undivided attention.

 

"Look, Superman."  I interrupted, placing myself between the two as the fireman just had.  "Sam here...I don't know...he isn't himself, but he's harmless.  I've never known him to hurt anyone.  He's just a normal guy."

 

That's when Sam started glowing.  The brightness emanating from him intensified until it seemed brighter than the sun.  I shielded my eyes but my vision was quickly transformed into a field of multicolored spots.  There was a sound like thunder and the next thing I knew, all was silent.

 

I opened my eyes, blinking to dispel the fading spots.

 

We were...somewhere else.  Both Superman and I gaped around at our new surroundings, before slowly returning our stunned attention to Sam.

 

"Okay.  Maybe not so normal."  I admitted, as my brain tried to assimilate what had just happened.   "But nobody is hurt.  Right?"  I asked, patting down my own body as I checked for injury.

 

"The spatial translocation has caused no harm."  Sam assured.

 

Superman, Sam and I all stood in exactly the same relative positions to each other, but we were no longer in Metropolis.  Spectacular mountains rose into the sky in front of us.  I turned slowly, taking in the rest of the vista and saw that while the mountains dominated in one direction, flat plains stretched out in every other.

 

"Are - are those the Rockies?!"  I asked, more to myself than to the other two men who were with me.

 

"They are indeed."  Superman replied, crossing his arms.  He fixed Sam with a stern, disapproving look, the muscles in his strong jaw bulging with irritation.

 

I followed Superman's glare to where Sam stood, returning Superman's gaze.  He was still glowing faintly, but it seemed to be subsiding.

 

"If you are so concerned about disrupting the lives of humans, then why bring him along."  Superman challenged as he pointed to me.

 

"Humans?"  I echoed incredulously, then laughed nervously.  "Yeah right , like Sam isn't...."  I stopped, my eyes widening as I turned to look at Sam.

 

Sam swallowed.  A look that might have been guilt played across his face for a moment before he managed an answer.  "It is only fair that the people of Earth are informed of what transpires here.  They must be made to understand that they no longer have the anomalous presence of a member of an advanced culture who will intervene in their destiny.  Will's purpose here is to bear witness and convey this information."

 

I was surprised to find myself in the grip of a sudden and growing anger.  I rounded on this being who had been my lifelong best friend.  "Who the Hell ARE you!  Where's Sam?  What have you done with him?!"  I demanded.

 

Reluctantly, Sam turned to look at me.  "I am Sam Munson, Will.  Everything of Sam is still incorporated into this form.  However, I am also the designated mitigator."

 

"The des - The WHAT..."  I stammered.

 

"Designated by whom to mitigate what?"  Superman replied more evenly.

 

"A counsel of advanced, space-faring civilizations transplanted me into this planet's society so that I might eventually act as the designated instrument by which the imbalance caused by your presence will be mitigated."  Sam explained to Superman.

 

"I see."  Superman said dubiously.  "And just what is the nature of this imbalance I am supposedly causing?"

 

"If you so wish, that can be explained at a later time, after mitigation has been achieved."  Sam replied.  "One possible means of mitigation would be your willing and permanent departure from this world in my company.  This is the method that would be most efficient."

 

"Oh, I'm sure it would be."  Superman smirked.  "But I have a feeling we're going to have to work something else out."

 

"In the event of your failure to comply, the protocol requires that I remove you."  Sam stated point blank.

 

"Sam."  I began, as I struggled to wrap my mind around what I was hearing.  "If you really are still in there, then you know you've been set up to fail here.  Just how do you plan on "removing" Superman from the planet?"

 

"That will not pose a problem."  Sam assured.  "My basic human manifestation is in the final stages of being reconfigured.  Even now, there is a forty-eight percent probability that I could successfully implement mitigation by forcible removal."

 

Superman dropped his arms and seemed to scrutinize Sam intently.  "Either this is some kind of joke or you're bluffing.  Or both.  You look perfectly human to me."

 

"Maybe."  I added.  "But how does a human get the three of us from Metropolis to the other end of the Great Plains in the blink of an eye."

 

Superman opened his mouth, but seemed to abandon whatever reply had at first come to mind.  "Good point."  He conceded.

 

For a moment a glimmer of the old Sam surfaced on his face.  "Perfectly human."  He repeated Superman's phrase, smiling wistfully as he absently rubbed his left hand along his right triceps, flexing it beneath his touch.  "That is apt.  A perfect physiology augmented with technology that, ironically, was culled from the single remaining comprehensive Kryptonian archive is the means by which I am being rendered capable of mitigation."

 

"Wait."  Superman interjected, holding up a hand.  "Kryptonian archive?  Are you saying that this counsel of yours has infiltrated the Fortress of Solitude?"

 

Sam seemed to consult some inner resource for a moment.  "No.  A more extensive archive exists."  Then, on seeing the obvious and intense interest the mention of this archive induced in Superman, a new idea seemed to occur to him.  "Access to this archive can be provided to you.  If..."  Sam offered a small grin that I recognized.  It was his 'checkmate' smirk.  "...you agree to mitigation."

 

Superman actually looked unsure.  I honestly didn't know whether to be more afraid that he would take Sam's offer or refuse it.

 

Superman's look of resolve returned.  "I don't believe you.  And even if I did, my commitment is to the people of Earth."

 

"Then I have no choice but to resume the protocol."  With that, Sam deftly shucked his underwear and stood for a moment studying Superman.

 

Both Superman and I went slack-jawed.  It was a surprising move on Sam's part but the most shocking part was being confronted with the sheer awesome spectacle of Sam's naked anatomy.

 

I addressed Superman even though I didn't seem to be able to look away from Sam.  "Dude.  You might be in trouble."

 

Superman crossed his arms and pointedly looked away.  "So I'm guessing that modesty isn't a big part of this protocol of yours."

 

"Not really seeing what he has to be modest about?"  I added gawking.

 

The look Superman shot my way could have just as easily been a blast of heat vision in that it was just as effective at wiping the grin off my face.

 

"Concerns such as modesty are of no relevance."  Sam explained with a small shrug.  "Very shortly, as a result of the process that readys me for my mission, there will be a small risk that matter in prolonged contact with my body will be subject to quantum state inversion"

 

Both Sam and I had always been fairly quick studies when it came to science, but since this whole strange episode had begun, he'd been tossing out phrases, the meanings of which, I could only hazard guesses about.

 

"Umm, and that would be a bad thing?"  I asked.

 

"If you consider having your undies suddenly transformed into highly explosive anti-matter a bad thing, then yes."  Superman explained dryly.

 

My eyes widened as I consider such an event.  "Sort of renders that fireman's whole wedgie-threat obsolete."

 

Sam laughed.  I noted that it was the most - well, Sam-like thing I'd seen him do since he'd laid eyes on Superman.  He was still in there somewhere.

 

"I think I've heard enough."  Superman continued more seriously.  "Something strange is obviously going on here.  I can't take the risk that some of what you are claiming might be true enough to present a danger."

 

"Negating potential danger on an interstellar scale is the sole purpose of my mission."  Sam retorted as he began to flex and inspect various muscles.  He seemed to be gauging the progress of the transformation he claimed to be undergoing.

 

I didn't know what was more impressive, Sam's confident display or the fact that Superman was able to look so totally unfazed by it.

 

Superman moved to Sam and placed one hand on the younger man's shoulder.  "You'll have to come with me now."  He explained sternly.  The hero turned to address me.  "We are too far from the nearest ranch for you to walk the distance."  He instructed as he surveyed the area.  "I see no dangerous animals in the immediate vicinity.  Just stay put and I'll have someone pick you up within the hour."

 

"What?  Where are you taking Sam?"  I demanded.

 

"Nowhere."  Sam interjected, "As I have explained, it is Superman who will be accompanying me."  He gingerly grasped Superman's wrist and removed it from his shoulder.

 

Sam then spread his arms out as though executing an iron-cross and slowly began to rise into the air.  "I urge you to follow me Superman - of your own free will."

 

My mouth hung open as I watched Sam soar into the cloudless sky.  He swooped and changed direction a couple of times as though he were allowing himself to become accustomed to his newly deployed flying ability.

 

Then he hurtled directly for Superman.

 

Without leaving the ground himself, the hero executed a last-minute, lightning-fast lateral lunge that neatly moved him out of Sam's path.

 

Or so it seemed.

 

It was almost comical to see Superman's smug expression change to a gape of surprise as Sam shot out an arm and snagged the the older man by the cape, hauling him into the air in a completely undignified manner.

 

But Superman wasn't a rank newbie at these sorts of battles.  He recovered immediately and deftly flipped himself into Sam's path.  He then grabbed the teen by one arm and spun them both into a blur of whirling motion, only to stop with such phenomenal abruptness that Sam was sent careening to the ground where he slammed into the earth with a resounding 'BOOM' that almost knocked me off my feet.

 

The impact kicked up a cloud of dust that obscured Sam from view.

 

Superman, who understood the importance of keeping an opponent in view, immediately dispersed the cloud with a gale-force blast of his breath.

 

For an instant, Sam lay on his back in the center of a shallow crater.  There was a look of utter neutrality on his face, no anger, no surprise, nothing.  He sat up, then streaked back into the sky to confront Superman.

 

"There's no way you can win here, kid."  Superman warned crossing his muscular arms over his broad chest and staring Sam down as the two hung in mid-air about two meters above where I stood.

 

"You are wrong Superman.  The fact is; I never lose."  Sam retorted flatly.

That sent a shiver down my spine for one simple reason.  I'd know Sam nearly all my life...and  I knew that it was true.

 

Sam gave a quick, sharp inhale of breath and then, like Superman had done to dispel that dust a moment before, he blew in Superman's direction.

 

I watched, barely able to comprehend what happened next because of the speed of things.  Sam's chest expanded then flexed down hard in a display of tight striated muscle as he forced the air out of his lungs.  A column of air more powerful than a Jovian jet-stream blurred through the sky.  It struck Superman for only a fraction of a second, but the result knocked the hero up into the sky like a home-run baseball being slugged out of the park.

 

Quicker than the eye could follow, Sam streaked ahead of the tumbling hero, stopped and then unleashed a perfectly executed punch squarely targeting Superman's "S" logo.

 

Superman became a razor-straight blurred line that connected Sam's position to a point on the ground about a block from where I stood.  The ground shuddered under the impact.

 

"Holy shit!"  I shouted even as I started running toward the area where Superman had hit the ground.

 

I skidded to a stop at the rim of the second impact crater this fight between titans had produced.  I turned to see Sam calmly floating down from on high.  Like Superman had before him, he dispelled the debris cloud as easily as I might extinguish the candles on a cake.

 

Sam landed beside me and we both peered down into the crater.  Superman had apparently struck the ground with his shoulders and upper back.  He was more or less upside down, his legs almost comically akimbo above his head as his body was folded awkwardly at the waist.

 

He struggled to right himself and then pushed himself up to a sitting position, grimacing as he rubbed the back of his neck.

 

He struggled to his feet at the bottom of an even deeper crater than the one Sam's impact had formed and searched the scene for Sam, glaring daggers up at the teen once he had spotted him.

 

"Not a happy look."  I commented.  "Sam, if he was holding back before, I don't think he will now.  You have to stop this.  It's crazy!"

 

Sam didn't look at me, he just regarded Superman with icy calm.  "You don't understand.  True madness, would be to allow him to remain on Earth."

 

"Well you're right about one thing.  I DON'T understand any of this".  I was shaking my head, unable to believe what was happening.  "Including how you are somehow suddenly able to go toe to toe with Superman!"

 

Suddenly, Sam bent slightly with a grunt, that strange glow had returned, though it was faint and again, faded quickly.

 

"Yeah!"  Sam almost growled, a smirk flitted across his features for a moment.  It contained a disturbing hint of cruelty.  "It's done.  My transformation is complete.  Superman is finished on Earth."  He declared, standing once more to his full height.

 

I stumbled back from Sam, shocked.  It was as though his already fantastic musculature had been amped up an order of magnitude.  It was impossible.  He'd not only increased in size, but in apparent density and definition.  Even his posture and his stance exuded power.  Though stark naked, there was no hint of vulnerability, which served only to make him seem that much more intimidating.

 

Superman sailed up from the bottom of the crater and landed between us, pushing me to the side.  "You  need to clear out of here, son.  Now!  Your friend and I have something to settle."  He obviously meant business.

 

In a flash, Superman was behind Sam, his mighty arms encircled the younger man, pinning his arms.  Superman lifted them both into the air, apparently intent on putting some distance between me and the fight he was about to bring to Sam.

 

But they had risen no more than a few meters when they simply stopped.  Superman's eyes widened, then a look of determination settled onto his face and with a slight grimace he put more effort into flying the two of them higher.

 

They moved no more than a half a meter and then stopped cold once again.  Superman audibly grunted, pouring more effort into his flying ability, but they did not move.  In fact, they began to glide smoothly back down to the ground.

 

"Your concern for Will's proximity to our struggle is admirable.  But I will see that no harm comes to him."  Sam explained calmly as he used his own flying ability to force Superman back to the ground, even though the hero was obviously struggling mightily to resist.

 

When their feet touched the ground, Superman released Sam and shoved him away hard as he jumped back to put some distance between them.  It seemed to catch Sam off guard.  He stumbled two small steps forward before he steadied himself.  From my vantage point, I could see that menacing smirk make a reappearance on Sam's face before he willed himself to calm down again and once more turned to face Superman.

 

"I can out-muscle you as easily as I just out-flew you Kryptonian.  It is in the best interest of everyone for you to submit."

 

"Young man, that's just not going to happen."  Superman declared grimly.

 

"Then you leave me no choice."  Sam replied.  "He then threw a poorly aimed punch at Superman, it was almost like he intended to miss - a sort of shot across the bow.  It grazed the older man's jaw to little effect, but I suspected that it was probably a way to telegraph a taste of the kind of power Sam was capable of without actually laying into Superman.

 

Superman took advantage of the opening to launch his own punch, squarely connecting with Sam's gut.  I could feel the thud through the ground, but it merely bounced off Sam's abs.

 

Sam grinned ever so slightly.  He seemed to be alternating back and forth between cold detachment and more human reactions.  I wondered if Superman had noticed this too.  It was almost like two distinct entities were jostling for control of Sam's body.

 

Relying on his skill in hand to hand combat, Superman brought the fight to Sam, pressing the advantage that experience granted him.  Sam was rarely able to land even a grazing blow, taking aim randomly at whatever target Superman presented.

 

On the other hand, Superman bided his time as he dodged, concentrating his punches strategically on the same target over and over - pummeling Sam's abs with precision and awesome power.

 

But I noticed that even the glancing blows Sam landed elicited grunts and grimaces from Superman, while every thudding, solid hit Superman landed against the teen's unyielding abs drew either no reaction at all or a small, sneering smirk from Sam.

 

The whole scene started to remind me of an eerily, disturbingly familiar feeling.

 

I hoped that I was wrong.  I hoped that Sam wasn't just phoning it in with this fight, like he'd done with most every other challenge in his life.

 

Any other observer would have certainly perceived both combatants to be going all out for the win.  They moved with such speed and power, shaking the ground with their superhuman efforts.

 

Even though Superman appeared to have the edge in sheer skill, as the fight went on, frustration began to take its toll on the Man of Steel.  Sam's hits rattled him more and more and landed more frequently.  Superman's strategy, which might have been superior to Sam's on paper, wasn't working.  The kid's abs withstood Superman's every ground-rumbling punch.  There was no sign that they were being worn down.  On the contrary, it was Superman's Kryptonian stamina that was beginning to falter.

 

Determined, Superman reached deep into his strength reserves as he doubled down on his attack strategy.  I could see a sheen of sweat start to form on his face as he increased both the power of his punches and the frequency with which they came.  At the same time, he concentrated harder on avoiding Sam's punishing blows.

 

Superman blinked repeatedly as sweat began to obscure his vision, but he realized that Sam's rain of blows had ceased, freeing him to press his attack even more intensely.  He imagined his opponent, breathless and teetering on the brink of collapse.  He cleared his eyes with a pulse of heat vision power, evaporating the sweat blurring his vision.

 

I could almost feel the cold dread and shock that must have stabbed the pit of the hero's stomach.

 

Sam had raised both arms, placing them behind his head.  He was smiling with cold amusement and merely watching as Superman continued to pound away at his wholly unaffected neutron-dense wash-board.

 

Superman shook his head.  "That's impossible!"  With a roar of frustration he fired off a final, all-out shot at Sam's impervious abs and then stumbled back several steps, breathing hard as the shock-wave rolled across the plains.

 

Sam advanced on his adversary, slapping his abs proudly.  "Had enough, Kryptonian?"

 

I noticed that Sam's heavy cock was hanging lower.  Apparently wielding such power was starting to arouse Sam.  Truth be known, it was affecting me the same way just watching it all.

 

Sam reached for Superman, but the hero intercepted Sam's arms.  They struggled against each other, fingers interlaced.  After a moment of this, Sam released one of Superman's hands and yanked the hero forward by the other.  He brought Superman's hand up to nearly eye level and glared at Superman over their clasped hands.

 

Then he squeezed, the muscles of his arm welling up like tsunami.  Superman groaned, his face contorting with surprise and pain and his knees gave way slightly before he could steady himself and dredge up the power to counter Sam to some degree.

 

"Submit"  Sam advised cooly, "before I am forced to injure you."  He appeared to be slowly increasing the crushing power of his grip.

 

Superman went up on his toes.  He gritted his teeth and growled in pain as he tried to free himself with both hands.

 

I was frozen in place.  I had no idea what to do.  Superman stopped whipping his head back and forth in pain and concentrated on the ground.  A sudden pencil-thin beam of heat-vision lanced into the earth and a second later the entire world seemed to shift violently beneath my feet.

 

Even Sam was surprised.  He released his grip and stumbled for a moment then he wholly disappeared from view, tumbling into a deep chasm that suddenly yawned beneath him.

 

Gasping, Superman willed himself airborne and then streaked directly down into the earth, pulverizing a huge quantity of solid rock, which cascaded down into the chasm after Sam.

 

The next thing I knew, I was dangling by my shirt-front in Superman's grip as he glared into my face.

 

"I don't know who you are to this guy, I don't know what's happening to him.  But if some alien force is changing him - taking him over - you've got to help me reach his human side."

 

"I...I don't know any more than you do."  I stammered.  "What am I supposed to-"

 

"Listen to me!"  Superman shouted in my face, shaking me.  "That dormant fault-line trick won't hold him long and I don't think I can take him!  If you can't reach him, he's probably going to-".

 

Sam blasted into the sky through an explosion of earth and pulverized rock.  He spotted me and Superman in short order and the look on his face froze us both to the core.

 

"Put him DOWN!"  he shouted.  The force of the demand cracked the air like a sonic boom.

 

Superman gulped as he gently set me on my feet. "Somewhere in there, he's still your friend."  Superman whispered.  "Use that."

 

Suddenly, Superman streaked skyward directly at Sam.  He roared through the air, both fists protruding in front of him like twin battering rams.  He connected with Sam's solar-plexus like a living missile, only to be effortlessly deflected by the dense plates of pectoral muscle that composed Sam's thick chest.  Superman lost all control as his momentum was violently redirected, shunting his body earthward.  He crashed into the ground with an ungainly thud and lay unmoving.

 

Sam nodded proudly to himself as he thumped his mighty pecs, obviously pleased with the power of his body.  "You are full of bad ideas today, Superman."

 

Sam's semi-hard cock seemed to be flirting with the idea of visiting his knees as it swung heavily with his slightest movement.

 

Finally Superman rolled over with a groan and pulled himself to his feet.

 

Sam's grin vanished, suddenly replaced by a cold flat glare once more.  "It is obvious that you do not intend to comply with mitigation.  You will now be forcibly compelled."

 

Sam landed gracefully in front of Superman.  "Unconscious, you will be rendered incapable of further interference with my mission."

 

Sam casually picked up the shaken Man-of-Steel almost gently, folding him into a bear-hug.

 

"NoooARRrrrggggggghaaaaa!"  Superman's eyes bulged as Sam applied his unstoppable strength to the hold.

 

Sam hadn't bothered to pin Superman's arms and the hero pushed against Sam’s burgeoning pecs, but he couldn't relieve the mounting pressure in the least.  He turned a pleading look in my direction and then began to punch Sam squarely in the jaw repeatedly, in a desperate attempt to make the teen free him.

 

The first and second punches whipped Sam's head to the side, but his cold expression remained unchanged.  The third punch produced a slight sneer at the corner of Sam's lip as well as a visible thickening of his neck and traps.  He glared into Superman's eyes as the hero landed the fourth punch.

 

Sam's jaw didn't budge, braced as it was with the flexing of his neck and trapezius muscles.  Superman clutched his hand and wailed after it bounced off Sam's granite jaw.

 

Sam smirked and cut off that wail with a sharp increase in the power of his bear-hug.

 

Superman made a gurgling noise and began to slump in Sam's mighty arms.

 

Sam smiled maliciously and his cock began to rise in slow pulsing increments in time with the beat of his heart.

 

These animalistic behaviors might have been unsettling, but they were undeniably human and therefore somehow less frightening than the cold, calculating aspect of Sam that had nearly taken him over ever since he had laid eyes of Superman.

 

If such primal human behavior was currently surfacing in Sam, maybe his human intellectual characteristics weren't so far beneath.  I decided to make my move before the alien part of Sam could reassert itself.

 

"Sam!"  I shouted as I ran over to him and grabbed at his arms.  His muscles were like living iron.  "You can't do this.  Fight it Sam!  It's me!  It's Will!"

 

"I...I don't want to do this...but there's a greater good."  Sam nodded to himself as he squelched his doubts.

 

"I have to do this, Will.  Earth must develop without interference.  If a species cannot survive its emergence into technological proficiency, it must be allowed to perish.  Other, more profound discoveries await exploitation.  If a morally deficient culture is sheltered from the consequences of its own irresponsibility and is allowed to emerge onto the interstellar stage, that culture would gain access to technologies that could conceivably render the entire universe unfit for life.  This cannot be allowed.  Earth must survive on its own, or not at all.  Superman must be removed."

 

My head spun as I tried to sort through what Sam was saying.  I could see how it all might make sense to the alien part of Sam, but surely he felt some kind of connection to Earth - some allegiance.

 

By now, Superman was out cold.  Crushed into unconsciousness by the unearthly power of my best friend in the world.

 

That had to be the key.  Thinking about 'The Mission' was what seemed to strengthen the control of the alien side of Sam.  But thinking about the raw muscle Sam now commanded seemed to bring his more human side to the fore.

 

A plan began to take shape in my head.

 

"Ok, guess you gotta do what you gotta do but, Dude!  Do you realize you have been bouncing Superman around like a rubber ball for the past hour?"

 

Sam's brow furrowed as he considered this, he relaxed his hold on the unconscious Man-of-Steel and held him at arm's length, inspecting his defeated opponent.

 

His cock was fast approaching a full head of steam, throbbing in the air in front of him.  That had to be a sensation that played havoc with his cold, rational persona.

 

It was sure as hell distracting me from my plan.  I forced myself to focus.

 

"I haven't...got a choice."  he stated, hesitantly.

 

"Maybe, but heck, if I had the kind of muscle you do, I wouldn't do anything I didn't want to.  Hell, I'd make whatever I wanted be the greater good."

 

"That...that doesn't make any sense."  Sam said, but he stared ahead vacantly with a growing smile as he considered the idea.

 

"I'd be all like:  'Yeah, sure Superman you can stay put.  You make for one fun play-date.  And Earth?  You step out of line and you answer to me.  No blowin' up the universe on my watch.'  I mean who knows Earth and what should be done with it better than someone who's lived here?"

 

Sam smiled and bounced his pecs proudly as he thought about that.  His cock was now all but slamming against his abs with every throb.

 

"Hey, imagine what Coach Barnes and the other guys on the team would say if you walked into practice on Monday."

 

"Ha!"  Sam laughed.  "I would love to see the strength coach's reaction to me now."  Sam flexed his right biceps, Superman dangled unconscious and almost forgotten from his hand as he did, bobbing bonelessly in Sam's grip.

 

"All you gotta do is show up."  I grinned, egging on his thoughts.  "Who's gonna stop you?"

 

I gave him a playful punch in the arm.  I heard my knuckles crack.  "Who could stop you?"

 

Superman groaned, as he regained consciousness to find himself suspended by a handful of his costume from Sam's heavily muscled, unwavering arm.

 

"What...what hit me?"  He asked groggily.

 

My heart sank.  I had almost reached something in Sam, but Superman, coming to when he did drew Sam's attention back to the embattled hero.

 

Sam shook his head disapprovingly.  "No you don't, Supes."  He said wrapping his arms around the out-classed hero once more.

 

"Aw, let him go Sam.  What's he going to do to you?"  I reasoned.

 

Sam shook his head.  He seemed confused and struggling to bring some order to the chaos in his head.

 

"He's a wuss compared to you now.  C'mon, show him the guns.  I'll be he wets 'em."

 

Superman glared at me looking almost as confused as Sam.

 

Sam smiled and his arms went up into a double biceps pose.  Superman dropped to the ground...or would have if Sam's fence-post-solid cock hadn't been in the way.  Superman yelped in pain, his balls squashed as he straddled Sam's unyielding member.  One hand went to Sam's cock as Superman instinctively sought to relieve the pressure of his own weight on his balls and the other hand shot out to Sam's thick pecs to steady himself.  Superman nearly ripped his invulnerable skin open against Sam's bullet hard nipple.

 

"Hell, yeah!"  Sam roared as his cock positively fountained into the air.  Sam's flexing biceps peaked even higher before our eyes as he roared with satisfaction until his cock finally finished delivering its payload into the sky.

 

Superman hit the ground hard as Sam dropped to his knees, his cock becoming somewhat less erect.

 

Sam shook his head and looked around.  "Will?"  he asked with uncertainty.  "Will, what the hell is going on?"

 

"Sam?"  I gave a short nervous laugh.  "Sam, tell me that's you talking...and only you."

 

Sam frowned, and looked from Superman, who was slowly dragging himself back away from Sam, to me again.  "What the fuck is going on?"

 

"Well, apparently, you just shorted-circuited a hyper-rational alien body-snatcher through sheer studliness."  I said grinning as I coaxed him to his feet.  "And it looks like you get to keep the body."  I said, giving one of his thick pecs a friendly punch.

 

"Superman?"  Sam moved to help the hero to his feet.  The traumatized hero flinched away and cast an uncertain look in my direction.

 

"I think it's alright now."  I assured him.  He hesitated, but then took Sam’s offered hand and allowed himself to be helped to his feet.

 

Sam glanced down at himself, then froze.  "Oh, shit!"  He blurted as he realized that he was totally naked.  "That...all that...wasn't a dream...Was it?"

 

Superman offered Sam his hand.  "More like a nightmare, son.  I'm just glad it's over."  Blushing an amazing shade of crimson, Sam shook Superman's hand.

 

"Then it is over, you think?"  I asked.

 

Superman frowned and turned to Sam.  "What do you think your 'friends' will do now?"

 

Sam swallowed nervously.  "I know what they'll do.

 

They'll send in more muscle."

 

The End

[NoloContendere]

This story was an absolute revelation to me. You hit all the right notes and it just blows my mind every time. If there is a chance you would continue the story I know you would make even more awesome.

[xxxxx5555]

Another great story from ya!!!!   Can't wait to see more from you!!!! 

[maxdog69]

This was a fantastic story! I can't wait to read what you plan next. Thanks for the great read!

[sampsonmuscle]

Top post. Any chance of a sequel in the works?

[Hnkmsklr]

Most intriguing beginning. Hope this will soon be followed by an equally inspiring chapter.

 

Many thanks for bringing this to my and others attention.        

-Supz Spermatogenesizing.txt

[mario2007]

AT2000, please, please continue this story.  Sam's gotta get it on with Will.  This is SO HOT!!!!