Empowering Revenge

Cassandra Koenig had spent years working her way up to be one of the richest people in Metropolis. She ran her own business, was know as a benefactor of the arts, and had become a popular figure among socialites. Indeed, she'd made her name.

However, as is often the case, the foundations of her burgeoning empire had been set on clay. She had been corrupt at times. Cut corners in business. And even avoided paying her taxes. For years if not decades she'd managed to stay one step ahead of any and all allegations, and cover up the truth. That was until a certain reporter decided to dig a little deeper. All she knew of him was that he was from the Daily Planet, and that his name was one Clark Kent.

She feared the day would come, and it did. Exposé after exposé in the paper, followed by investigations, shame, and consequence. No longer was she welcome by the so-called "betters" of Metropolis' society. Old business partners avoided her like the plague. Huge, crippling fines followed. And then, finally, jail time.

She was dying now, and knew that as she sat in her lonely, dark cell one day before finally being released. She'd had her life taken from her piece by piece over a prolonged period, and all because of that one nosey reporter. He had taken everything from her, yet he had just continued on with his life as if nothing had happened. He got a Pulitzer, whereas she got six years.

She had two things left, however. A desire for revenge, and the Dreamstone which she had acquired years before and had merely displayed it in her office as a trophy. One of her last deeds before being put behind bars was to bury it somewhere safe in Metropolis. She had thought about using it before, but hadn't yet drawn up the courage. Now, after a few years in prison, it was less newfound courage that drove her, and more desperation. She also didn't know if it would even work, and feared the idea that she might have to give up something precious in order to gain something precious in return.

When she left prison, she expected someone to be there. The press, family, former employees, but there was no one. It was as if she was reduced to just a lonely, common thief. The rain poured down upon her wizened, ageing face and snuck between her deepening wrinkles. Her glasses were quickly stained by the drops gathering on the lens. She thought, "What will become of me? Even if this works and I get my revenge, what life is there for me out here? None."

She coughed habitually as she made for one of the city's graveyards. She had bought a plot years before; little did she realise she'd end up using it for alternative means. She looked around the dark, tombstone-ridden field with high-rise buildings on every side, and dug her hands into the earth. She knew that soon it would likely be her buried beneath, yet today it was something been dug up instead. She pulled her hand back up and held aloft an mishapen ovalesque stone that glowed pale gold. The wind picked up and fled through the graveyard, but Cassandra didn't budge. A moment later and she lowered her dirt-caked hand and stared at the ancient treasure.

"With this," she muttered to herself, "I will take away the life of Clark Kent."

She wasted no time; cupping the stone in both hands and declaring, "That's what I want! I want him to feel as I do, to put him through what I have gone through. I wish to slowly take the life of Clark Kent away! Everything he has, everyone he loves, I want to take it away!"

As she finished, the stone glowed and the earth shuddered. But then, there was nothing. Indeed, she was left slightly disappointed. While she wasn't exactly sure how it would work, she thought maybe Clark Kent would suddenly appear before her or a weapon might appear in her hand. She meant to literally kill him after all, albeit slowly. Maybe she was meant to target everything he held dear first before finally finishing him.

When the initial rage had passed, and when nothing in her predicament had changed, she felt ashamed of herself. While the rain clouds above might have now given way to a bright morning, tears began to well up in her eyes. She felt that this was truly it, right at her own grave, the stone hadn't worked, her last goal in life had failed. It was over.

However, just as despair took hold, another feeling swelled up and overwhelmed it. Then, there was a sudden pain in her gut, causing her to bend over in two, but when she rose up again a spectacular metamorphosis had spontaneously occurred. She was now wearing a white shirt under a black suit and tie. She stared at her hands which were youthful and soft. She reached up and touched her face. She must have been, physically, in her late twenties or early thirties now. She took off her glasses and even found them to be rather stylish and modern, and blue in colour. Her lips were full, her hair long and brown, and her body petite. She realised then that she had somehow and for some reason been de-aged. It was incredible.

But before she could celebrate the magical event, she felt a buzzing sound from her pocket. She was taken aback as she didn't leave the jail with a phone, and yet there it was in her hand now. She pressed the green button and there was a voice on the other end.

"This is the Daily Planet. Just calling to confirm the time and date for your interview today."

"Interview?" asked Cassandra, dumbfounded.
"Yes, you are Cassandra Koening, yes?"
"I am."
"Please be here within the hour then. Do you know the way?" The secretary casually asked.
"I do."
"Then we'll see you then?"
"You will," finished Cassandra, hanging up. A devilish smile creeped up her face then as she pushed the phone back into her pocket. "Seems I have a job," she said to herself. "In the Daily Planet of all places. All of a sudden. That's certainly...interesting."

She looked at the stone again.

"Very interesting."

When she arrived at the Daily Plant, she was shocked at the sheer size of the operation and felt ignored except for the odd person who'd pass by as she stood and waited, offering her the odd smile. It was only then that she had the opportunity to look at herself in a nearby mirror.

"My god, I'm so beautiful," she whispered, before running her fingers through her hair. "No wrinkles, no grey streaks. I was never like this even in my youth."
   She then undid the top button of her shirt and lossened her necktie to look a little more casual, but as she did so, a young photographer named Jimmy Olsen came out to usher her inside to meet the editor. He was immediately enamoured with her, and, red-faced, struggled to mouth words.

"It's fine," she said, "I know what you're trying to say." As she passed him by, Cassandra playfully patted him on the shoulder and smirked.

Perry White was as smitten with her, but more for her apparent journalistic skills. Even though she had obviously never worked in the industry, knew nothing of being a journalist, somehow he had a CV of her with a list of accomplishments. And thus, she had gotten a job at the Daily Planet. It was remarkable, it was absurd, but she went along with it. Yet as she got up to leave the office, her new boss said something that caught her off guard.

"We're lucky you came along when you did. One of our journalists didn't turn up today. Said he was suffering some type of mysterious illness; apparently made him feel weak and feeble."

"What's his name?"
"Clark Kent."

She raised her eyebrows, just nodded and then walked out without saying another word. She knew that Clark Kent was a person in his prime, knew he worked at the Daily Planet, yet now sounded like, physically, he was in some decline, and didn't turn up for work. She wondered, had the stone taken her up wrong when she made her wish? She meant to literally kill him slowly in her moment of madness and thirst for revenge, yet what if the stone triggered something else? What if "slowly take away Clark Kent's life" now meant she was slowly taking every piece of his life away for herself?

Before she could comprehend the possibilities, she heard a voice call to her from across the noisey bullpen. Confused, she looked over and saw a beautiful woman gesticulating at her to join in. When she'd crossed through the throng she was greeted by this fellow reporter who then raised her hand and shook Cassandra's.

"Oh, what nice hands you have," she said, holding on a bit longer. "I'm Lois Lane. I hear we're going to be working together from the next while?"
"We are?" beamed Cassandra. "But I thought..."
"My previous partner has gone a bit AWOL, and I need someone to fill the void today, if you know what I mean."
"I think I do," smiled Cassandra, emptying Clark Kent's desk and making it her own. "So," she said, staring directly into Lois' eyes, "What are you/we working on?"
"The mainstreet bank robbery. Nothing that exciting, of course, but the crime correspondents need a helping hand. Essentially, we need to find the culprit because the cops rarely make a good fist of it."
"Well, that's a good place to start," replied Cassandra, "If you give me the evidence connected to this case, then I'll try follow it up with you."

Indeed, for the next couple of weeks they worked well together; and there was still no sign of Clark Kent. His illness was seemingly chronic, and Cassandra would now have to replace him full time. Every day was the same. Jimmy would bring them coffee, fawn over both, with Lois coming to genuinely respect her new colleague's abilities. Cassandra herself was amazed. It was as if her knowledge was inate, or had she also stolen Clark's journalistic skills, too?

As they drank their coffee they would chat amongst themselves and make each other laugh. They spoke of superheroes, with Lois dropping the names of all the ones she'd met. She had such a thing for Superman, but was envious of Wonder Woman.

"Why?" asked Cassandra.
"Because of the life she gets to live. Of that amazing amazon body. Of the fact that she always commands Superman's attention. Anyway, it doesn't matter, I'm over him now. I mean, what is he doing to even stop this crime wave? Very little, strangely."

One day they were both down in the basement searching the archives and got rather close, with Cassandra then getting even closer and wrapping her arms around the smaller Lois. Lois didn't push back or try to wriggle free. The reporters embraced then and Cassandra kissed Lois on the neck. She realized that this special relationship is something that Clark and Lois must have enjoyed together, yet it still felt so authentic. They really did like one another. It was something else Clark had lost and she had gained, or did she earn this one all by herself? It didn't matter. Cassandra was content now as surely she had taken everything precious from him?

Surely??

But then, one day, he actually turned up at the office.

"Clark, what are you doing here?"
"What do you mean, Lois? This used to be my place of work. My life. And you, you used to be my friend!"

"Used to be..." Cassandra interrupted behind the safety of her desk and computer.
"And who are you?"
"Cassandra," she replied. "Or Cassie if you like me."
"Well, Cassandra, something has gone terribly wrong. It's like a spell has been cast on me."
"Is that what's made you so old?" asked Lois.
"Yes, but I've lost other things, too. You guys were once my friends but now barely even acknowledge me, and now this person has my job."
"Whatever your condition, Clark, Perry might still give you a position again if you ask."
"No, because I still have a bigger duty that despite my frailties I can fulfill, and I'm going to continue that even if you guys have all lost faith in me."

He left then with his aged head held up high, leaving Cassandra quite confused and frustrated. "What is he talking about?" she wondered. "I have everything that matters to him now...don't I?"

It was then that an evil thought popped into her head. He still had his freedom; but she could change that. She could make it that it was poor old Clark that had knocked off those banks. He was down on his luck, desperate for money. She realized she now had the power to do to him what he had done to her, and such was the apparently hold she now had over Lois and co, they might not even question it. The stone really had worked its magic, and now she felt her victory would be complete.

Little did she realise what was about to happen next...

When the story dropped, it unadvertedly became the biggest of the year. The reason many believed crime had risen in Metropolis was because Superman was appearing less and less in public, but what people didn't realise -Lois and Cassie included- is that Superman and Clark were one in the same. Indeed, all was finally revealed when the police attempted to arrest Clark off the back of Cassie's article, but as they did Clark tore open his shirt and a seemingly impossible manhunt began trying to track down an elderly but still immensely powerful Man of Steel who'd apparently been the cause of the spike of crime in Metropolis, or so they believed.

Cassandra, however, was gobsmacked. As she watched Superman/Clark Kent from a window of the Daily Planet zoom up above the buildings, she finally understood what he had left, and realized then what was about to happen to her. His youth had become hers. His job. His skills. His friends. His lover. All of his life had slowly become hers, except one aspect: his superpowers. His godlike, inhumane power. Now it would also be hers.

She got incredibly excited then as she watched him falter in the sky above Metropolis and hurtle to the earth like Icarus. As he did, a well of energy opened up inside of her and began coursing through her body. Soon, it would no longer be petite as she grew in size and her muscles pressed against the fabric of her suit. Instinctively, she tore open her shirt and revealed the familiar S symbol. She threw her head back and laughed as the transformation continued and she fully burst through her clothes revealing her new blue and red caped supersuit. Her biceps bulged as they grew even more while she flexed them. She then felt herself float off the ground. She was, indeed, Superwoman now. And as her ascension began, Clark's descent was over. Her revenge was indeed complete, and "all" she had to give up was a little bit of her humanity and erase her real past in people's mind; a fact that she was strangely comfortable with considering the results.

Lois approached her then, in awe.

"Cassie, is that really you?"

She hadn't removed her glasses as she, unlike Clark, didn't want to hide her identity. She wanted to be known as Cassandra Koenig AND Superwoman.

"It's true, Lois, my love," she said, scooping up the reporter in her huge arms and bringing her closer.

"But Clark?" Lois asked staring down onto the street. "I'm not sure if he even had a family plot..."

"Don't worry," said Cassie. "I know where there's an empty one going cheap. That poor guy. He turned to a life of crime after he lost his job, his life. But now, the city needs a new hero."

"That's some story," said Lois.

"I know," laughed Cassie. "In fact, I sense there might even be a Pulitzer in it!"

Cassie flew them both out the window then and across the city.

"Where are we going?" asked Lois.
"I want to show you something. Remember when you said you were jealous of Wonder Woman and would love to have her life?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, let me introduce you to the Dreamstone, Lois..."