- - -
Before, being in the grid had just been pure noise and confusion for Leslie. It was still hard to sort out the millions of signals pulsing through electric and phone lines across the entire city.
Thankfully, her target made it easy: he was on his phone, speaking in his loud, easily identifiable voice.
“Listen,” Lenny said, “it’s no big deal! So she’s got superpowers and she’s running amok-You can’t buy publicity like that! This feud with Superman will keep us in the black for years to come!”
Leslie focused, hard, and suddenly she could see through the cameras in the office-The webcam she used for streaming shows, the cameras on every laptop or cellphone. It all let her see her prey-Sitting in his chair, a few large monitors showing news about the Metropolis power crisis behind him. She couldn’t really breath in this form, but if she could, she’d have taken a deep, lung filling breath to prepare.
She was electromagnetism itself, and it seemed to respond to her will. So she willed herself to appear on the screens, and to push her voice out through the speakers.
“Too bad you won’t live long enough to see it,” Leslie crooned through the speakers, making Lenny jump. He looked around in shock, finally coming face to face with her-Staring into the monitors. She was still smiling her enraged grin. It made Lenny break out in a hard sweat all over his balding forehead.
“L-Leslie?” He ventured. He put down his cellphone and smiled, spreading his arms wide. “Hey! You’re looking great-!”
Leslie pushed, and the monitors all exploded as she burst back into the real world. Lenny fell back in shock, slamming hard against his desk. He held onto it for dear life, staring in disbelief as the destroyed electronics crackled and popped in a heap behind her.
“W-Wow! That’s a hell of a trick!” Lenny complimented. “Zatanna couldn’t do better!”
“I know about your little dealings with Luthor, Lenny,” Leslie said in a sing song voice, slowly tilting her head as she grinned madly. Lenny’s pupils shrank to pinpricks, as he froze like a deer in headlights.
“Ah… Wh-What deal-?”
“The deal you made to make the show a death trap so Baldy could take those companies over, Lenny,” Leslie continued, still speaking cheerfully. “The deal that did this to me.”
“I-I didn’t know you’d get struck by lightning!” Lenny insisted. Leslie took a step forward, and Lenny awkwardly rolled over the top of the desk to put it between them as he kept babbling.
“H-Hell, I didn’t even know Luthor was involved! It was some guy at one of his subsidiaries who set me up! Said that there’d be an electrical fire or-or something! Superman showing up, you getting superpowers-Who could plan for that?!”
Leslie took another step, and made her hand burn with power. She raised her hand, and slammed her fist through the desk. The hardwood, flush with energy, immediately exploded from the thermal overload and broke in two, the edges blackened and glowing like coals.
Lenny yelped as his back hit the wall, and his hands scrambled for the doorknob.
“Oh, I’m not pissed about that,” Leslie said in a soothing tone entirely at odds with her manic grin. “You see, you were right. I was dating someone. Someone I cared about. Someone I loved.”
Her eyes began to glow, as her rage bubbled up to the surface.
“Someone I electrocuted to death when I touched them,” she snarled. “All. Because. Of you.”
Lenny was paler than any white man could or should be. Leslie trembled a bit, the voltage causing arcs and sparks in the air around her.
“Killing a loved one will make anyone dangerous. So imagine what it’s done to me,” Leslie seethed. The front of Lenny’s trousers were assuredly soaked.
His beady eyes darted around the room. They locked onto the office door. He took off like a shot, grabbing the door handle and tearing it open as he ran. Down the hallway, his flabby body almost a blur in his panic.
Leslie zapped back into the nearest outlet, and followed the course of the electrons to another monitor on a wall. She burst out of this one, right in front of Lenny. He screeched to a halt and clumsily spun around to run the other direction. Leslie happily skipped after him, an insane sounding giggle leaving her lips.
“You really think there’s anywhere for you to run? Anywhere for you to hide, Lenny?” Leslie called as Lenny slammed into the elevator doors ahead of her. He frantically pressed the summon button, over and over. Leslie raised her hand, and an arc of lightning formed. The panel exploded, making Lenny screech as he stumbled back.
He turned and ran for the stairwell door-yanking it open and running, rushing up the stairs. Leslie shook her head. That wouldn’t do. He couldn’t fall and die before she got a chance to have some fun.
Again, she sought out an outlet, zapped herself into the grid of the building, and accessed every camera she could. Yup-He was heading for the roof. There was a helicopter parked there, illuminated by numerous roof lights as night descended.
She waited, just long enough… Then blasted out of the nearest overhead lamp as he stumbled out of the rooftop access door. He screamed and fell onto his backside, and began dragging himself back from her. She strode easily, unhurried, after him. He looked back at her even as he retreated. The stars visible through Metropolis’ light pollution shone brightly down upon them as he started to beg.
“L-Leslie! Leslie! Let’s talk about this! Y-You don’t want to kill me! I-I helped you! I took you on! I’ve been your manager for years-You-You’re like a daughter to me-!”
She fired a blast of plasma at his feet, making the concrete explode. He shrieked and scuttled faster, faster, right to the edge of the roof. He wrapped an arm around the safety rails, panting hard for breath even as he pleaded.
“I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” He cried. “I swear, I’ll-I’ll-!”
“Yes!” Leslie shouted, “that’s it! Offer me money!”
“I’ll give you everything I’ve got! EVERYTHING!” Lenny squealed. Leslie got closer.
“Offer me power! My own position!” Leslie taunted. Lenny nodded frantically.
“Anything! ANYTHING!”
Leslie grabbed his collar and slammed him up against the railing. Lenny yelped in pain as she grinned maniacally.
“Offer me my heart’s desire!” Leslie shouted.
“I’ll give it! Anything at all! ANYTHING YOU WANT!” Lenny bellowed at the top of his lungs. Leslie gathered all the power she could in her off hand, and held it up. It burned, hot and bright enough Lenny shut his eyes tight and sobbed.
“I want my boyfriend back, you son of a bitch,” Leslie hissed. She pulled her fist back, ready to finish it. It wasn’t long enough, it would never be long enough, but she had bigger fish to fry-
“Leslie! Stop!”
She froze. She looked up. There he was-floating in the air, red cape fluttering in the winds that rushed through the city skyscrapers. His arms crossed over his chest, slightly obscuring the big red “S” shield.
“Beat it Superman,” Leslie snarled. “I’m doing you and everyone else in this fucking city a favor. First? This asshole fries. Then? Luthor.”
“You don’t have to do this,” Superman implored, “he’s going to confess and go to jail. Killing him won’t help anything.”
Lenny nodded frantically. “I will! I WILL!”
“Not fucking good enough,” Leslie seethed. “Luthor will just sacrifice a pawn and stay out of jail. Again. I’m making sure, and I’m starting with the small fry.” She reared back, ready to punch Lenny right through his flabby chest. Lenny whimpered.
Superman let out a soft breath, and spoke again. Quietly, and calmly.
"Leslie, I realize that you're incredibly upset. That's likely a major understatement. But doing it this way? It won't prove anything. This... man isn't worth making yourself a murderer."
Leslie hesitated, but the power still burned in her palm. The face of Clark’s dead face still burned in her mind.
"It's not murder. It's vengeance."
"No it's not,” Superman replied. “Clark is alive. Lenny needs justice, but not death."
Leslie looked away from the crying Lenny, staring at Superman in shock. She tried to see any sign of deception, but the superhero’s expression didn’t change a bit.
"What?! How?! I heard the doctor-" Leslie started. Superman moved a bit closer.
"I'm not sure what the doctor said, but I can promise you Clark is alive and well. I can prove it if you come with me.”
Leslie was silent, the power she had gathered still buzzing and crackling away in her hand. She could feel Lenny’s frantic heartbeat through her clenched fist.
“Let him go,” Superman said. He was now close enough he extended his hand out to her. “Do you think he can hide anywhere the two of us can't find him?"
Leslie stared intently at Superman. She looked back at Lenny, who had passed out by now. She glared back up at Superman.
"If this is a trick..." She warned.
"Have I ever done that?"
Leslie let out a long sigh.
"... Take me to Clark, and I'll let him live."
Superman nodded.
She let the electricity dissipate from her palm. She let the flabby bastard go, and stood up. She reached out and took Superman’s hand.
Superman pulled her close, wrapping his arm around her waist. She held on tightly, and as soon as Superman was sure she was okay, he took off. He flew fast for the west, out past the city limits, past the Metropolis suburbs, and straight into the Quitely Mountains.
Superman descended into an isolated valley, before setting down on an isolated little plateau that was illuminated by the moon above. He let Leslie go, and she stepped away and stumbled. She turned around and glared expectantly.
“Well?! Where is he?!” Leslie demanded.
Superman let out a long sigh. He rummaged in his belt, and pulled out… A pair of glasses. He placed them on his face. He then ran his fingers through his hair, flattening it out. He then hunched over just a bit, his body language shifting.
Leslie stared at him. Clark smiled back awkwardly.
The image of his dead face in her mind matched up perfectly.
“Is… Is this some kind of sick joke?!” Leslie cried. He shook his head.
“No. I’ve always been Clark,” he said. “I am Clark. Superman… Just helps out.”
Leslie stared longer, everything inside her compressing to a single point… Then exploding outwards.
“ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!”
Every volt of her electrical power exploded outward from every pore, every inch of her body. Lightning boomed and roared as the plateau detonated in a massive explosion, casting rocks and debris all over the valley.
The smoke gradually cleared, the moonlight exposing the damage wrought to the landscape… And to Superman, who was lying on his back some distance away. Her rage immediately transformed into fear and concern, and she ran over to his side.
“Clark?! CLARK! Are you okay?!” She shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him. He groaned and looked up at her, a wry smile on his face.
“Haa… Haa… I may have had that coming,” he admitted. He reached up and took her hand, and she held him back.
“It wasn’t just my secret to keep, Leslie. I couldn’t tell just anyone, you know? And I wanted to. I’ve wanted to. When the time was right.” He sighed, and shrugged his shoulders. “So… Here we are.”
“Yeah,” Leslie murmured, “here we are.”
Things were silent for a time. Leslie reached down and stroked the back of Clark’s head. She leaned in close.
“I was so scared I’d killed you,” Leslie admitted. Clark smiled back gently.
“So was I,” he replied. He let out a long sigh, and reached up to cup her cheek. She flushed deeply, and nuzzled his palm. She held it to her cheek, and leaned down to look him right in the eyes.
“I mean… I get it,” she said softly. “I do get it. I just… It’ll take some time to get used to it, you know?”
“Tell me about it,” Clark admitted. He hugged her tightly, and she found herself relaxing into his embrace. She hugged him back, and they lay there together on the cold hard ground.
“So,” Leslie murmured, “where do we go from here?”
Clark nuzzled the top of her head with his chin.
“After everything? We deserve some happiness. Maybe it’ll be hard, but I’ll work for it. If you want to. Do you still want to?”
Leslie snorted.
“You’re quoting me right back,” she muttered. Clark smiled.
“What can I say, you inspired me,” he replied.
She felt so warm inside at that. She could have kissed him. Instead...
“That’s your job, stupid,” Leslie shot back, snuggling against him.
- - -
As Leslie predicted, one of Lex’s underlings took the fall and ended up in jail. Lenny joined him, earning a very long sentence with little chance for parole.
Fortunately, the damage to the city caused by her episode with her abilities was minimal. And there weren’t really any legal grounds for suing a newborn superhuman for their powers going crazy.
Even so, Leslie decided that her show was going to go on hiatus while she figured things out. As her apartment had been fried in the ensuing chaos, she decided to stay with Clark. Something he was perfectly fine with, all things considered.
The media was hounding her even more after this. Already she was being called “Livewire” and speculation ran rampant that she’d become a superhero.
She didn’t know what the future held for her, but she was going to find out. With Clark… Superman… At her side.
- - -
And thus concludes the Livewire arc. What did you think?