"...I understand why you refuse, but with you here my plan would be unstoppable," Luthor said through the portal that the scientist back at Lexcorp had created in order to get in contact with him, which he was now using to talk to another. "Yes, I know that New Genisis is your biggest concern right now, but...very well, I suppose I cannot force you. Good day...Mercy, close the portal. I wish to be alone." The portal closed in front of him as he reached up with his hand and placed it over his face, growling to himself in rage.
"Why was Black Adam here!?" Luthor growled as he paced around the room, infuriated that the appearance of the god had ruined his plans. 'Of all the times for him to show up. If he had just attacked Superman it would have been fine, but he also attacked Sinestro and Grundy, who were supposed to hold off Superman until I got there...calm down Lex. Fighting both him and Superman would have been a losing battle and he's gone now, so you just need to think up another way to trick Superman. Besides, Sinestro played his part perfectly, making Superman believe that Darkseid was involved. He still hasn't figured out that it's you.' Luthor's ears picked up on the sound of the door opening and turned to see Celestia walk into the chamber, with an annoyed and slightly suspicious look on her face
"How did you manage to escape Superman?" Celestia asked Luthor in the now-repaired lab. She had brought in her best builders and repaired the damage that Superman had caused within a matter of minutes, the combination of magic and skill finished the repairs quickly. "We thought that with his vision and hearing that-"
"That there was no place to hide from him? Dear Celestia, you give him far too much credit," Lex said with a small laugh, allowing himself to land on the ground. Celestia noticed that Lex seemed different each time she saw him, as he literally radiated with power. "You see, Superman, while aware of the fact that a higher power is at work, is not the 'brightest bulb in the rack' and is more concerned with keeping his image than he is at figuring out who could be sending his foes at him. That is how I managed to escape him time after time. His power makes him arrogant."
"Why, that is incredible; I meant, how did you escape him when he burst into the room earlier?" Celestia asked again. "My guards told me that they found him in an empty room when they burst in. Where were you?" Luthor sat down in his chair and looked up at the ceiling, smiling slightly.
"I was in space, Celestia," Lex explained. "A place where I cannot be heard and he would never think to look. After all, why should he? Who would dare attack a god like him from above? In the vacuum of space, he could not hear my heartbeat, leaving me alone to finish my work."
"But we thought he could hear all?"
"Oh, don't let what he says fool you. Superman can hear many things, but if he tried to listen to everything on the planet at once it would overload him," Luthor said with a knowing smile. "So he has tuned his hearing to pick up on cries for help or anguish, while other things may slip under even his gaze. He isn't perfect, although he may claim to be."
"If he wouldn't hear you, why go into space?"
"If you must know my friend, I was testing my powers," Lex said with a smile, clenching his fist and watching the atoms explode in his hand. "It will not be much longer before my power is able to combat his. Is the suit ready?"
"Yes, they finished it yesterday. Tomorrow we will bring it to you and see how it works. Then we can finally see if Superman can be--aghhh," Celestia groaned as she held her hoof to her head.
"The headaches back?" Lex asked.
"They are weakening. Luthor...I have a favor to ask," she said with uncertainty. "I know that Superman is supposed to be evil but...I don't know if I think that way anymore. So if you have to fight him, and I know you do, please spare him. He might be evil on your world, but here he has done nothing but help. Maybe you were wrong about him or maybe this isn't the one you know. He deserve a chance."
"I will...consider your offer," Luthor said with all the self-restraint he could muster as Celestia left the room. "...It seems that your mind control spell is beginning to wear off. You will need to remedy that yourself or I will do it for you."
'Can you do that?' a voice in the darkness of his mind asked.
"I have a...device...that allows me to suppress the minds of others and allows me to control them. It will work on her," Luthor said with a thin smile. "And that will leave all the power to you."
'Good. I'm glad I stole that red sun device or I would never have met you, Luthor. I'm also glad you offered to form this partnership. You are a wise man.'
"That I am. I have a few associates back on Earth who will keep the rest of the League from coming here, allowing you to battle Superman by himself. Are you certain that you are ready to face him?"
'Positive. But there is one thing I do not understand. If you were waiting for Superman to be weakened before attacking, why not attack now?'
"Sombra, you have a lot to learn about Superman. He could be facing Darkseid, Doomsday and Brainiac all at once with one foot in the grave, and I would still put all my billions on him. No, I must wait for the right moment and for my powers to match his. But enough about that, I think it's time you got let out early; On good behavior."
(S)
Superman arrived back in Ponyville later the next day after helping a town that had been flooded by a storm and a giant octopus, making sure that the ponies in the town were all fine before sending the creature back down to the depths. When he arrived back in Ponyville, he found all of the Elements of Harmony and Luna sitting in the café where they had started negotiations the previous day with Chrysalis sitting across from them. Once again, ordinary ponies had gathered around the café to see how this meeting would end. As he landed next to the ponies, the five fillies and Insectum all ran up to him with excitement and awe in their eyes.
"Hey Superman!" Dinky said with a smile. "Where did you go? Did you fight any evil? Did you save the day?" The other girls started to ask the same questions, but Superman held out a hand to quiet them.
"I'll talk with you later, girls. Right now it seems that there is still business to attend to," he said as he headed back to the table, pulling out his own chair and sitting between Luna and Chrysalis. He also noticed that Rainbow Dash wasn't there, but a quick scan with his x-ray vision showed that she was at the Ponyville hospital, along with the other two mares that he had seen there as well. Superman also noticed that Celestia wasn't here either, although his vision couldn't find her this time. He didn't think about it for long as Luna and Chrysalis continued their talks where they had left off, whether or not the ponies would help Chrysalis help rebuild her empire. "Is it alright for you to continue the meeting without Celestia here?" he asked Luna.
"Celestia asked me to finish this meeting by myself and I am more than capable of it," she said with certainty. "Now then, let us continue."
"Yes, let's," Chrysalis said in a warmer tone than when they had last talked.
"Even though we have made peace with you, giving you supplies to re-build your forces might inspire you to attack us again," Luna said with caution in her voice as she stared at what used to be a dangerous foe. "What guarantee do we have that you won't attack us again if we do help you to rebuild, or that you won't kill the ponies that we send to help you?" Chrysalis looked down at her child, thinking about her answer carefully before responding.
"I will not deny that I do not like your sister or most ponies too much," Chrysalis began, getting the hatred out of her before she continued. "But you saved my daughter when she was in danger, placing me in your debt. I would not make this promise to Celestia, but I will promise you--on my life--that I will not harm any ponies as long as they are willing to help instead of hurt." Luna looked at Chrysalis with uncertainty, wondering if Chrysalis could be trusted or not. But as she looked over to Superman, she remembered how much he had worked to keep them all safe. And she also knew that one day, he wouldn't be there to help them from the bigger threats and other enemies, so turning Chrysalis into a friend would be the best way to eliminate her as a threat.
"Very well Chrysalis, if you are willing to allow some of my personal guard into your city, we can begin helping rebuild your home," Luna agreed. Insectum smiled and ran over to the fillies, excited by how happy she was that her home was going to be rebuilt. "Some of our ponies have discovered a new vein of iron up in the north, so there will be extra supplies to help you." Luna then closed her eyes and took a few breaths before she looked back up at Chrysalis. "I never thought I would say this, but I hope that ponies and changelings can live together in harmony." Luna extended her hoof to Chrysalis, who looked at it as if it were a trap. "If we are willing to trust you, you have to be willing to trust us." Chrysalis sighed and looked down at her child again, who was nodding at her eagerly. She too sighed, and gently took Luna's hoof, shaking it to cement the deal.
"So we are agreed," Chrysalis said as the ponies all around them began to cheer, with Pinkie screaming about how she was going to throw the biggest party that Equestria had ever seen. Superman smiled at Luna and Chrysalis, with Luna saying that she had somepony to check on and the latter getting out of her chair to leave, calling to her daughter to join her. The two of them walked out of the café and past the cheering ponies down the road, until they reached a quiet enough place where Insectum could talk to her mother.
"Hey, Mom," she began as she came to a stop, causing Chrysalis to stop as well and look back at her. "I...I was just wondering. If you want me to learn more about ponies so that I can be a better ruler...then would you mind if I stayed here for a while?" Chrysalis looked at her smiling daughter as if she had just gone insane. It was unheard of for a changeling to live anywhere close to ponies, and that was only if they were hidden.
"Do you know what you're asking?" Chrysalis asked her in disbelief, looking over to the ponies. "They do not accept us and will most likely try to kill you! Why would you want-?"
"You said we needed to trust them, right?" her daughter asked her with a smile. "So me being here would be a great sign of trust. Besides, I want to hang with my friends for a while! They're going to show me what crusading is!" Chrysalis looked at her pride and joy with fear in her eyes, not wanting to even think about losing her after everything that happened with Sombra. But right before she said no, Superman and Rainbow Dash both landed beside her.
"I something the matter? I heard your heartbeat spike," Superman asked with a bit of concern as he scanned the area.
"It's...nothing. Princess Insectum asked me if she could stay in Ponyville for a while to learn more about ponies," Chrysalis explained.
"Mom, stop calling me princess," Insectum huffed. "That's not my name."
"I think that's a good idea," Superman said with a smile, gaining a look from Chrysalis. "Since the changelings and ponies are no longer enemies, I think it would be a good idea for the two sides to get to know each other, even if it's only a little bit. And since Insectum has already made friends here, the ponies of town might be fast to trust her."
"But where will she stay?" Chrysalis asked concerned. "What if the other ponies don't like her? What if...something happens to here?"
"Well, I can help her in case she's in danger, but as for a place to stay..."
"I can watch her for a while."
All three of them turned to face Rainbow Dash, who looked at Chrysalis, who was biting her lip. "Changelings can hang out on clouds right? So if you want, I can let her crash with me for a few days." Chrysalis narrowed her eyes at RD, again suspicious of whether this were a trick or not.
"Why should I trust you?" Chrysalis asked her with narrowed eyes. "I know that you do not trust me."
"...I don't trust you. At least, I didn't used to. But Superman seems to trust you and that is enough for me," Rainbow said in her defense. "And I won't betray his or your trust. So please, trust me."
"I attacked your home and friends if you recall. Are you certain that you want to 'bury the hatchet' as well?" Chrysalis asked doubtfully.
"I'm certain." Chrysalis thought about what she had said, avoiding her daughter's eyes as she begged at her hooves. Chrysalis didn't trust the ponies yet, but she did trust Superman for all he had done for them. And if RD was willing to put aside their differences due to trust in Superman, she could as well.
"Very well, if my daughter wishes to stay with you, she may," Chrysalis said as her daughter began to scream with joy. "But if anything happens to her, there will be no hole that you can hide in where I can't find you! Are we understood?" Chrysalis asked her with a glare. RD nodded in response before getting tackled by Insectum, who instantly wanted to go play with the girls again. RD bent her knees so the changeling princess could hop on her back and the two shot off into the sky, leaving Chrysalis to watch them go with worry.
"Don't worry, I'll keep her safe," Superman said with a comforting smile. "You could also stay around here if you want to. I bet that you could learn something about ponies along with your daughter. Maybe you should try to make some friends-" Superman stuck out his arm and caught the pink blur that had tried to zip right by him, holding up the pony by the back of her neck. Chrysalis backed up, startled by the fact that Pinkie had seemed to materialize out of the air. "Pinkie, why did you come flying at Chrysalis like that? She's still trying to trust ponies, and you flying towards her at mach five isn't going to help remedy that fear."
"Sorry Superman, I just heard that somepony wanted to make some friends!" she exclaimed with a massive smile, looking at Chrysalis with shining eyes. "And I'm just the pony to help you find some friends! I know everypony in town and they all know me, so it won't be weird when I introduce you!"
"You and me won't be seen as weird?" Chrysalis asked with a snort, thinking about how the only thing that would be weirder than the two of them is if Superman had suddenly become a pony.
"Give her a chance, Chrysalis," Superman said, placing Pinkie on the ground. "She's not that bad once you can get past her weirdness." Chrysalis looked at the pink pony, who was vibrating as she tried to contain her excitement. She gave in with a reluctant sigh and motioned for Pinkie to join her. Pinkie let out a squeal of delight and grabbed Chrysalis' hoof before shooting off at top speed with the confused queen in tow. Superman watched them go with a smile, happy at how fast the two species seemed to be getting along already. Now if only he could help humanity get along that fast. Superman knew that Chrysalis could handle herself, but he wanted to make sure that no harm befell Insectum. There were probably ponies that would pay well for a changeling princess, and he had promised to keep her safe. Superman turned towards where he heard the fillies playing and shot off to join them, landing next to them a few seconds later. They all screamed at his arrival and fell over, leaving their sisters to laugh at them.
"Applejack. Rarity," Superman said as he greeted the mares there. The girls all picked themselves up and ran over to him with smiles. "Come to check up on your sisters?"
"Yep. We figured that they've been far too well-behaved lately and that something must be up," AJ said with a chuckle as she pulled her sister into a headlock and started to mess up her mane. AB shrieked and fought out of her sister's grasp, running with a smile as Applejack started to chase her. Superman sat down in the grass, watching the two chase each other for a bit until he heard Rarity sit down next to him and place a bag next to him.
"Superman, darling, do you mind if I talk to you for a minute?" Rarity asked him while batting her eyelashes and giving him a smile. Superman raised an eyebrow in response, but gave her the go ahead. "I've been thinking about my next big idea and with your current popularity all over Equestria, I was wondering if you'd mind if I-"
"Hey Superman, Rarity!" Sweetie Belle screamed as she ran over to Superman. Rarity yelled in shock while Superman's eyes turned a blazing red while he started to look around. "I think that I got my magic to work. Hold on, let me show you!" She stepped back away from the two of them and started to concentrate on her horn while Rarity let out a sigh.
"Sweetie, dear, you interrupted my talk with Superman," Rarity said, but Sweetie wasn't listening. She rolled her eyes and looked back to Superman. "Sorry about that, ever since she shot off a few sparks she thinks that she'll be able to do magic at any time. Anyway, what I wanted to ask was if you'd mind if I made..." she said with a smile as she reached inside of her bag and pulled out her newest marketing idea. "These!" Superman looked at the item for a full minute before he sighed and placed his hand on his face.
"Rarity, I'm flattered, but I don't know if-"
"What? I'm certain that the ponies would love these," she said as she looked at what she considered to be her greatest creation. It was a sky blue shirt with a symbol he knew well in the center. "I've already shown a number of ponies and they said they love them. Besides, half of the profits can go to you if you want," she said with another batting of her eyelashes.
"No...that's fine," Superman said. "And honestly I'd rather the money go to a charity than to me." Rarity sighed and turned off the charm, muttering how she would rather he let her have the profits. Sweetie Belle had given up trying to show Superman her magic and instead had gone back to others. AJ had begun to wrestle Applebloom when the other fillies had joined in, and Applejack quickly found herself outnumbered six on one. While she could handle the ponies jut fine, Insectum tackled her in the side, which had the unexpected result of knocking AJ back about ten feet. Superman caught her almost immediately, but he and the other ponies looked at Insectum with a bit of shock.
"S-sorry," she said softly as she looked at her hooves. "I didn't mean to hit you so hard."
"What are ya sorry fer?" AJ asked with a smile as Superman set her down. "That's the name of the game. Yer quite strong fer ya size."
"Yeah, you're incredible-strong!" Scootaloo said with a smile. Insectum blushed from all the positive praise, while Dinky ran over to Superman, followed closely by Tiara.
"So Superman, did you stop any evil doers while you were gone?" Dinky asked him.
"No, no evil doers this time, but I did fight off a giant octopus," Superman answered. Dinky sat down and told Superman to continue, motioning for Tiara to join her before looking back to Superman. He started to tell them about what had happened, when a sight on the horizon caught his eye. Chrysalis was running towards them at top speeds.
"Chrysalis, what's the matter?" Superman asked as she ran right behind Superman and hid behind him.
"Keep her away from me! No matter where I go or where I try to hide, she's there!" Chrysalis said with terror as she started looking around.
"Ah take it ya spent some time with Pinkie?" AJ asked with a smile as she and all of the others watched the spectacle. Chrysalis screamed again when Pinkie came flying up to them, but just like last time, Superman caught her with one hand.
"Pinkie, stop scaring Chrysalis," Superman said to her as she tried to get at Chrysalis, fury in her eyes.
"But she Pinkie-promised that she'd see Sugar Cube Corners and she hasn't!" Pinkie said in a much darker and demonic voice, making all of the ponies look at her with fear.
"Did you force her to make the promise or did she do it willingly?" Superman asked her as he tightened his grip, telling Pinkie that she wasn't going to escape. Despite her Pinkie power and her rage-increased strength, she knew that she couldn't out-muscle him.
"She wouldn't shut up until I made her stupid promise to go to the shop," Chrysalis hissed at Pinkie, staying behind Superman for safety. "Is she always like this?"
"Yes," all of the ponies said with such unison that it creeped the changelings out. Pinkie continued to try and get to Chrysalis, who continued to hide behind his legs. Much to their surprise, Pinkie managed to slip out of his grasp and tackled Chrysalis and started to drag her towards Sugar Cube Corners. Chrysalis responded by lifting Pinkie with her magic and throwing Pinkie into the distance. Superman sighed, amazed at how fast peace had turned to shouting in just a few hours as Pinkie came flying back at her top speed, running into Chrysalis' shield that she threw up to protect her. The ponies all began to cheer on the two combatants when Superman's hearing picked up the sound of flapping wings, and he turned to see Luna flying towards them.
"Princess Luna," Superman said as she landed in front of him, her arrival stopping all the fighting. The ponies all bowed to her as Chrysalis chuckled at the display. Luna ignored her as she walked over to Superman. "What can we do for you?"
"I need you and the Elements to come with me to Canterlot," Luna said, sounding more like an order than a request. "A prisoner who has been judged and condemned to execution has asked to see you before he dies." The ponies asked her who the prisoner was, but Superman already knew the answer. And while he didn't like the idea of him dying, it was the ponies' laws and ultimately their decision.
"Why does he want to see me?" Superman asked as he crossed his arms.
"He won't say to us, but you are Sombra's final request," Luna said seriously. Superman frowned, not liking this at all.