"All the survivors in Star City have been rescued. Now we need to figure out how to deal with this big guy."
"To be precise, that should be you, sir, perhaps with Green Lantern's help. I probably won't be much use at this stage."
Barry scratched his head awkwardly, his cheap uniform sizzling and smoking from the friction of his earlier high-speed movement.
Standing beside the Superman he admired yet unable to help any further left the young Flash a little uneasy.
"This is the first time I've met someone faster than me. Your power is formidable, kid."
Clark noticed Barry's guilt and gave his shoulder an encouraging pat.
"You're bound to accomplish great things in the near future. So, can you tell me your codename?"
"Barry-no-I mean-Flash."
"Relax, Flash. Leave the rest to Green Lantern and me." Clark smiled gently and looked up at Green Lantern floating in the sky.
"Buddy, what should we do now? How about uprooting it and pushing it into space?"
"I don't think that's a good idea. This thing's roots are buried deep underground. God knows what would happen if we did that." Green Lantern stroked his chin thoughtfully.
Clark nodded and gazed toward distant Star City with concern.
In fact, while rescuing Star City's citizens earlier, he had discovered something strange. In the city center sat a coiled mass of tumor, gaping like a baby's mouth. Shimmering inside that "mouth" was a cluster of deep-blue ripples as fathomless as the starry sky.
If he had to draw a comparison, the thing felt like a portal to him.
Reason told him that unless they dealt with it soon, something terrible might crawl out of it.
"Hey, Superman, remember what I told you about the tumor?"
Just as Clark was frowning in thought, Will's shout