Lex Luthor stood facing Superman. They were in an old, abandoned subway tunnel. It was a three-track tunnel, possibly a track switching station at some point. Superman was standing in track number 1, he was in track number 3. He held two very powerful, advanced mechanized guns in his hands. In his left hand was a gun loaded with Kryptonite bullets. In his right hand was one loaded with hollow points. Each gun could fire 100 rounds in 30 seconds. The gun in his right hand was aimed at Ms. Lois Lane...who was 50 meters away tied to a post. He locked eyes with Superman. He had been dreaming of this moment for 3 years. It's been 3 years since Superman destroyed his dream. . .his dream of owning vast amounts of beach side real estate. . .an entire continent! Gone! All because of Superman. He had been on the run for 3 long years. From Superman. From the police. From the freaking Department of Homeland Security! He had been branded a terrorist a few days after Superman threw away his entire continent--his dream!--into outer space. 'Me! Lex Luthor! The world's most brilliant criminal mind! A "terrorist"!' He loathed the term. He was no small time rebel who blew up buildings or trains. He was LEX LUTHOR! He had more brains than all of Earth's scientists put together. He was as unlike a terrorist as a man was to an ant. He was orders of magnitude above, he was a class unto himself. While the so-called terrorists might kill hundreds, or thousands, he LEX LUTHOR had the power to kill millions! BILLIONS! IF NOT FOR SUPERMAN!

He stared at Superman with such hatred. But he did not aim the gun in his left hand at Superman. Instead...it was aimed at Superman's son! Superman's son was tied to another post 100 meters away from Ms. Lois Lane.

"They say you are faster than a speeding bullet..." he mocked Superman with a self-satisfied smile.

Superman was frozen. He stared at Luthor with almost equal hatred. He normally had good control over his emotions. But Luthor and the past 3 years had really brought out the worst in him. He wanted to kill Luthor, and kill him now! But he was frozen. Unable to act. He had all his powers, there was no Kryptonite nearby exept in Luthor's gun, but it was far enough away from him not to affect him. Superman was frozen because he really wasn't sure what he was going to do if Luthor squeezed both triggers at the same time. He could have just vaporized Luthor with heat vision or blew him away with his breath. But Luthor had erected an advanced forcefield in between them that extended for 45 meters on each side of him. The only way he could save either Lois or his son was...

Supermans thoughts were suddenly interrupted by another mocking laugh from Lex Luthor.

"Ha, ha and ha! You may be faster than a speeding bullet Superman, but are you faster than...200 bullets, travelling in opposite directions!"

"Luthor, you bastard, if you even..." Superman started to say.

And then Luthor just said "Let's find out, shall we..." and with that Luthor squeezed both triggers. . .

3 years ago. . .

In an uncharted island, somewhere in the Atlantic. . .

"Lex...Lex..."

"What!"

"We've eaten all our coconuts...what are we gonna eat now? I'm hungry!"

"I don't know!"

"But I'm so hungry!" moaned Kitty.

"Shut up! I'm trying to think! I'm trying to figure a way outta this island!"

"Fine! But you need to eat too!"

'Damn she's right!' Lex thought. 'I can't use my super powerful brain if I'm hungry and starving.'

"Allright, getting food will be our priority. The most obvious thing is to try and catch fish. So, I'll build a simple fishing rod, and you try to catch fish, while I try to figure our way out of this freaking island.", Lex said.

"Ok Lex, you got a deal baby."

"Hey Lex...umm, I have a question..."

"what now!"

"Remember I dumped those other crystals down the sea..."

"Don't remind me! I just might be tempted to eat you for lunch!" Lex yelled, still furious at that moment of total stupidity.

"But Lex! Why didn't they grow into islands like the one you shot at the ocean!"

"Quite simple Kitty, they need a catalyst to grow. In this case they need a small charge of electric current to start the growing process..." Lex was glad she was finally asking non-imbecile questions.

"Aha!" Lex yelled...

"What Lex?" asked Kitty.

"I have a plan!" Lex smiled.

Meanwhile back in Metropolis City . . .

Clark Kent had finally found himself a new apartment. It was near the Daily Planet too, which was quite convenient. It's just a simple place, small but cozy, on the 38th floor of the building. Which was also yet another convenience...the higher the better...for jumping out the window to fly.

As soon as Jimmy left the place (helping Clark move in), unpacking was a cinch. Using super speed, Clark unpacked and arranged all his stuff in less than 1 minute. After that, he lay down on his bed to test how comfortable it was. He has never found a bed that was just perfect for him. He thought about going to the Fortress of Solitude and growing a Kryptonian bed out of the crystals and bringing it to his place. The only problem is Jimmy will always be visiting and he'll be sure to notice. Thinking about his hideaway in the arctic, reminded him of some unfinished business that needed urgent taking care of.

Lex stole his crystals, and Lex and Kitty are missing. Police helicopters had searched the area where the Kryptonite island used to be and found nothing.

There was really only one way to find the crystals...he had to get the original green crystal that was sent with him when he was a baby, and use that to detect the other crystals. 'And where the crystals are, is where Luthor is...', he thought.

He's been thinking a lot about Luthor too. Specially back at the hospital. In his deep healing sleep, his mind was still active. Dreams, thoughts, visions of his father, Jor-El. He thought about Luthor a lot during that time and what to do with him. How easy it would be to kill Luthor...just one flash of heat vision, one punch, one puff of his super breath. But that's not his way. 'If I do that, I'd be tempted to do it again...', Clark thought, 'Once I use my powers to directly kill someone...I'll end up doing it again and again, and someday I might abuse it so much, I'd end up killing people just because they anger me.'

'But Luthor is different...he's evil beyond evil,' Clarks less merciful side thought, 'He doesn't care if he kills millions or billions so long as he gets rich and powerful!'

"Damn you Luthor!", Clark was speaking his thoughts out loud now. "If it wasn't for me, Luthor would have already killed billions of people! There must be a better way than simply putting him in jail, where he always escapes!" Clark was mad now.

"But I can't just kill him...I must find another way!" he said to himself. And after that, he took off his human clothes and flew off the window.

Back in the Uncharted Island...

"So what's the big plan Lex?" Kitty asked.

"Hahaha! This is one of the more brilliant plans I've thought of!"

"C'mon, what is it!"

"Simple...my GPS watch still works."

"Oh that's great Lex!"

"That's just part of it. Using my GPS watch, I will find the coordinates of this island!" Lex bristled with newfound confidence.

"And then?"

"And then tear off a piece of your clothes..."

"What!"

"Write the coordinates down...and a short note promising reward, tie a hundred dollar bill around the note, stuff it in one of those coconuts we opened, tie the coconut halves back together, and throw it in the ocean! Hahaha!", Lex laughed, extremely pleased with himself.

"That's it!"

"Yes!"

"That's it! A message in a coconut! That's the stupidest plan I have ever heard of!"

"Well, do you have anything better!"

"No..."

"Ha!"

"Fine...I'll go get the coconut shell..." Kitty said.

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-assunta