Tempus, being a fan of the adage that one can never keep a good man down, waited until TJ had left before climbing out of the mixer. He had, of course, exaggerated the extent of his injuries. Sneering, he reflected that these twenty-first century plebs had a lot to learn about outsmarting a 24th-century criminal such as himself.
Not giving his attacker another thought, he focused on his purpose in visiting this time and universe: trying once again to foil Superman. This time, he had a secret weapon, and he hurried to the hiding-place where he had stashed his time-machine, a disused workshop. Excellent; his travelling companion was in the back seat, where Tempus had left him, nicely unconscious as a result of the stunning device Tempus had used on him.
“Wakey wakey, Lexy-boy,” Tempus drawled, shaking Luthor.
“What? Where...? Who are you?” Luthor sat up abruptly, glaring at Tempus.
“Seven years in the future, my friend,” Tempus explained. “You see, you were just about to die - once again - when I arrived and saved your life. And now, you’re going to return the favour and help me dispose of Superman and Lois Lane once and for all.”
“Lois?” Luthor exclaimed. “She’s mine!”
“Well, she can be, once we get rid of Superman,” Tempus pointed out. “At that point, I will be ruler of this universe and if Ms Lane chooses to remain alive I suppose I could give her to my -” He paused, then smirked. “My deputy ruler?”
With a sudden lunge, Luthor sprang from the time machine. “I am no-one’s deputy!” he snapped. Grabbing Tempus’s stun-gun, he aimed it at the time-traveller. “Thank you for saving me. But, unfortunately, you have outlived your usefulness,” he pronounced. “And so kind of you to leave me all your weapons and technology. It will make my task so much easier.”
"Oh, the irony!" Tempus gasped as he fell to the ground.
As Tempus fell, Luthor kicked him until he lay underneath the time machine. Acting swiftly, Luthor unscrewed a gas canister which sat in a corner. Before Tempus regained consciousness, he would be dead.
Pleased with his afternoon’s work, Luthor let himself out of the workshop and set off to regain his empire.
As he left, however, a slight figure sneaked out of the shadows and went over to the workshop door. She opened it and darted in, immediately spotting the unconscious man lying on the floor half-hidden by the time machine. Grabbing his shoulders, she dragged him outside into the fresh air, where she sat beside him, waiting for him to come around.
“Did you think I’d abandoned you?” Elena murmured lovingly. “Nobody kills my husband if I have any say in the matter!”
Next!
