Justice League of America - Batman: The Stone King by Alan Grant (best english novels to read .txt) 📗

used a spotted kerchief to wipe the fog off the lenses of his heavy-rimmed glasses. "Perhaps if we put in a complaint to NASA," he said lightly to his younger companion, "they'll relocate the space shuttle launches to Metropolis. We'll be able to cover them for the Daily Planet and still be in bed by midnight."

"In bed?" There was a note of mock scorn in the young photographer's voice. "You really are a homebody, aren't you, Clark?"

A small smile played around the corners of Clark's mouth. If Jimmy only knew, the reporter thought to himself.

They were seated in the press stands erected specially for the launch, a full quarter-mile away from the mighty Saturn-class rocket that would follow the shuttle Lincoln into the upper atmosphere. Over the past few years the public had grown used to shuttle launches; they were no longer the newsworthy events they once had been.

Tonight's blastoff was something special, though. For the first time ever, an American astronaut would be going into orbit accompanied by his Russian and Chinese counterparts. Their mission had a dozen different objectives, from observing the behavior of fungi cultures in a zero-gravity environment to monitoring the network of communication satellites that was slowly but inexorably drawing Russia and the People's Republic of China closer to the American way of life.

"It's about time." Jimmy aimed his binoculars at the complex of prefabricated buildings that surrounded the launch site. "That's the vehicle carrying the crew appearing now."

Clark pretended to follow the young man's gaze with his own binoculars and saw a white, futuristic but chunky-looking vehicle powering up the removable ramp toward the crew entry hatch. Clark had already done his interviews with the flight leaders, Martin Spears, Grigor Mendel, and Li Xing. The laptop computer that was connected to his cell phone had automatically sent his feature article back to editor Perry White in downtown Metropolis. Jimmy had shot his close-ups of the astronauts, and now he wanted one final photo of the shuttle lifting off into the velvet, starry sky.

Clark saw the figures step out of the vehicle at the end of the ramp. They turned, and each raised a hand in recognition of the distant watchers in the press stands before stooping to squeeze through the entrance hatch.

There followed a long, boring wait in the oppressive nighttime heat as the shuttle crew ran through their prelaunch checks.

Jimmy passed the time swigging from one of the liter bottles of water he'd been buying ever since they'd arrived in Florida the day before. He checked and rechecked his camera, making sure the proper distance and light conditions were programmed in. There would be a very narrow window of opportunity for him to snap the breathtaking shot he wanted, and he was determined nothing would go wrong.

Clark Kent's thoughts were more philosophical. More than anything else, he wanted peace in this world of humans he had adopted for his own. As his alter ego, Superman, he did everything in his power to safeguard humankind against attack, be it from insane earthly supervillains or threats from outer space. The vast powers bestowed upon him by Krypton, the planet where he'd been born, and the yellow sun under which he now lived, ensured that few if any threats could withstand the Man of Steel.

But in his heart of hearts, Clark knew realistically that the world would only find a rest from hatred and war when humanity learned for itself the virtues of cooperation and universal tolerance. These were values that could never be forced on people, but had to be gladly and willingly embraced if any lasting change was to be made. An international space shuttle crew might not sound like much, but it was a step in the right direction.

Clark suddenly remembered the Justice League engagement the month before, at the site of the Gotham Dam disaster. Funny how none of the other Leaguers, like Aquaman, Plastic Man, or Zauriel, rubbed him the wrong way. Only Batman.

Superman had always felt uncomfortable with the fact that Batman operated outside the law. A vigilante, rather than a hero. Yet he had to admit that Batman always got the job done. Still, if it was so hard for them to get along in perfect harmony, small wonder that whole nations found it much more difficult.

Though deep in thought, Clark was far from inactive. His eyes scanned the area ceaselessly, his X-ray vision probing deep into the space base's most hidden corners. No accident, no unforeseen sequence of events, could be allowed to hamper this historic moment.

Just then, on the far side of the base, his amazing Kryptonian vision detected something strange. There was a sudden flare of blue light, so brief that it disappeared again almost immediately.

"Did you see that?" he asked Jimmy, but the photographer's binoculars were still trained on the rocket.

"The ramps have withdrawn, the hatches are sealed," Jimmy intoned. "The stablizers are pulling in. The countdown will begin any minute now."

Clark got to his feet. "Excuse me a moment," he said hurriedly. "Must be the heat–I feel a little faint."

"Take off your tie and unbutton your collar," Jimmy suggested, not looking up.

But Clark was already gone, sidling past the other news and camera teams assembled on the press stands. He reached the bottom of the wooden steps and, surreptitiously checking to make sure he wasn't observed, slipped into the dark shadows beneath.

Less than a second later he emerged again, his formal suit gone, replaced by the bright red-and-blue costume of Superman. His red cape streamed behind him as he flew at speed across the base, heading toward the spot where he'd seen the mysterious blue light.

There was nothing there.

Superman's brow furrowed. He'd caught only a glimpse of the light, but that had been sufficient for him to realize it was neither natural nor man-made. He hovered a few feet higher above the tarmac surface, his eyes flickering back to the rocket and its precious cargo. What he saw there made his blood run cold.

The