"Yes! Yes! I have the perfect power! The power of the strongest in the world! Ahahaha! No one can stop me now!" Parasite's hysterical laughter echoed through the streets of Metropolis. Superman lay on the ground, motionless, his life force drained. Bystanders and police officers watched, stunned and helpless, unable to intervene.
With a triumphant laugh, Parasite grabbed Superman's weakened body and shot into the sky with a sonic boom that threw everyone to the ground.
Minutes later, Superman regained consciousness. Nausea and profound weakness washed over him. He discovered, to his horror, that he was securely chained to a concrete pillar in an abandoned warehouse.
Suddenly, a familiar boom ripped through the air. Parasite appeared, dropping sacks full of stolen money.
"Haha! This is great! I'm loaded now!" the monster sneered. "Why did you never want to get rich with powers like these? You could have EVERYTHING!"
"Because I was taught that the strong must protect the weak," Superman replied, his voice weak but filled with conviction.
"What a load of crap!" Parasite spat. "Seriously, you could be the most feared man on the planet!"
"When I was a child, I was given love. I was supposed to do the same in return."
"Really? It shows you had a good family, Clark."
Superman jolted, his blood running cold. "How...?"
"That's right!" Parasite boasted, tapping his forehead. "I didn't just get your powers, I got a chunk of your memories too. So just sit tight, I'll be back to top up later!"
With a final contemptuous laugh, Parasite flew off, leaving Superman alone with his despair. But Clark's mind was already racing. He thought of Utopian. Their abilities were similar, including hyper-developed hearing.
Taking a deep breath, Superman focused what little energy he had left and projected his thought, hoping his friend would hear.
"Utopian... if you can hear me... Go to S.T.A.R. Labs... Enter my secret storeroom... You'll understand..."
---
At that moment, in Tokyo...
Utopian, who was correcting pages of Demon Slayer, stopped dead. A faint, distant, but distinct voice had resonated in his mind. Clark.
Without a second's hesitation, he launched into the sky. Within minutes, he crossed the Pacific and landed in front of S.T.A.R. Labs. Using his X-ray vision, he quickly located a secure warehouse, sealed with lead-lined steel doors. He forced his way in.
Inside, he discovered a small arsenal of Superman's emergency equipment. Among the artifacts was a heavy protective suit, designed for hostile environments, and, in a sealed case, several fragments of Kryptonite, each carefully labeled.
Superman's order suddenly became clear. Parasite had Clark's powers and some of his memories. He had become vulnerable to what affected a Kryptonian.
Grabbing the insulated suit and a fragment of Kryptonite which he placed in a lead container, Utopian felt a shiver of apprehension. He was going to have to face a creature that could drain him, while wielding the one element that could potentially harm it, but was also a poison to his ally.
He flew towards Metropolis, a cold determination in his heart. Parasite was about to discover that another "super-man" was in town, and this one was ready to play with fire. Or rather, with radioactive rock.