Five months ago: In the Beginning, There Were Lips
Mr. Mxyzptlk storms through the city's abandoned subway line, looking at the various faces as he passes by. "No. No. No. Good GOD, you stink! No. No. No."
The homeless people using the line for shelter stare confusedly at the squat little man as he wanders through. Some of the people here are victims of circumstance, while others are unstable.
"No... noooooo.... no, no, no, no! Where is he?"
A child of about 8 years old approaches the strange-looking figure. "Excuse me... who are you?"
"I'm a buddy of Superman's, kid. Who the heck are you?"
"I'm Kevin," he replies.
"Great. Look, Kevin, have you seen this guy around somewhere?" He snaps his fingers, and a scroll appears in front of him. It unrolls itself, revealing an image of an older man in glasses. The image adjusts itself on the scroll, as though settling in for a photograph.
Kevin frowns. "Yeah. Mom says I'm not supposed to go near him."
"Your mom sounds like a smart cookie, kid," Mxy replies. "Where can I find him?"
Kevin points. "There's an access tunnel down there, with stairs leading down. He's down there. But you don't want to see him. He's scary."
Mxy smirks. "Kid, I've seen stuff that'd turn your hair purple with shock. I can handle some crazy guy with a thing for making toys."
"Don't take his toys!" Kevin exclaims in warning. "There was another kid once who took his toys. Don't take them!"
He smiles at the kid, and for a moment, Mxy looks beyond his own selfish needs. The kid's being nice. It's worth something, right? He checks reality for a moment and sees the kid and his mom are homeless because of an abusive relationship. They just need some help getting started again.
He snaps his fingers and hands over a small bag, making sure none of the other homeless around him can see him giving the bag over.
"Don't show this to anyone except your mom, kid."
And with that, he turns to march down towards the access hallway, having just given over ten thousand dollars of gems to an 8 year old boy.
"Come on out, Schott!" he calls as he marches. "Where are ya, ya big jerk?"
He needs him for his latest game! Together, he and Schott can utterly destroy Superman!
The homeless people using the line for shelter stare confusedly at the squat little man as he wanders through. Some of the people here are victims of circumstance, while others are unstable.
"No... noooooo.... no, no, no, no! Where is he?"
A child of about 8 years old approaches the strange-looking figure. "Excuse me... who are you?"
"I'm a buddy of Superman's, kid. Who the heck are you?"
"I'm Kevin," he replies.
"Great. Look, Kevin, have you seen this guy around somewhere?" He snaps his fingers, and a scroll appears in front of him. It unrolls itself, revealing an image of an older man in glasses. The image adjusts itself on the scroll, as though settling in for a photograph.
Kevin frowns. "Yeah. Mom says I'm not supposed to go near him."
"Your mom sounds like a smart cookie, kid," Mxy replies. "Where can I find him?"
Kevin points. "There's an access tunnel down there, with stairs leading down. He's down there. But you don't want to see him. He's scary."
Mxy smirks. "Kid, I've seen stuff that'd turn your hair purple with shock. I can handle some crazy guy with a thing for making toys."
"Don't take his toys!" Kevin exclaims in warning. "There was another kid once who took his toys. Don't take them!"
He smiles at the kid, and for a moment, Mxy looks beyond his own selfish needs. The kid's being nice. It's worth something, right? He checks reality for a moment and sees the kid and his mom are homeless because of an abusive relationship. They just need some help getting started again.
He snaps his fingers and hands over a small bag, making sure none of the other homeless around him can see him giving the bag over.
"Don't show this to anyone except your mom, kid."
And with that, he turns to march down towards the access hallway, having just given over ten thousand dollars of gems to an 8 year old boy.
"Come on out, Schott!" he calls as he marches. "Where are ya, ya big jerk?"
He needs him for his latest game! Together, he and Schott can utterly destroy Superman!