-Chapter Eight-

The Voice of Superman

A week had passed and the competition of getting an interview with Superman had inthraled the newsroom, so that every single reporter was running after everyone disaster and crime happening within Metropolis, all trying to get that Interview. At first the idea of a competition between his reporters had gotten him excited, but as the week had passed he had become more and more angry at the fact he was lacking an interview and he, like his competitors, were still not in the know about this Superman.

"Right, what part of I want it all, didn't you people get," Perry said for the fourth time in the past few days, giving what he thought to be one of his rousing speeches, "you are meant to be the best. Now, be the best. Get me that interview."

"So, who are you going to let interview you?" Chloe asked discreetly in Clark's booth after Perry's speech and as reporters continued making as much noise as they, unknown that if they listened closely they may hear the story of the century.

"Not sure," Clark replied thoughtfully as he typed out his Slum Lord Murderer story.

"You know I was kind of looking for 'oh of course you Chloe'," Chloe replied sarcastically as she leant against the cubicle wall, rolling her eyes.

"L-Lois, kind of... asked first," Clark said blushing and hunching his shoulders to hide his red cheeks.

"Nice to see that that stutter is actually real," Chloe teased looking at him closely, "so what this is how you woo my cousin by letting her interview you?"

"I don't want to... woo her," Clark whispered indignantly his cheeks still red, "I-it's just like I said... she asked first."

"Right," Chloe rolled her eyes, "and your best friend gets what?"

"Chloe," Clark said a little hurt turning to her so that he could look her in the eye, "it's not like I didn't think about it. I mean, I could have written the story and told everyone the way I wanted, I could have had you tell the story..."

"But?"

"But, I wanted someone who didn't know who I was to take the story," Clark said a little impatient by being 'interviewed' himself. "That way... there's no biased."

"So, why Lois?" Chloe asked stiffly.

"Like I said," Clark smirked, "she asked first."

Chloe looked at him closely, smiling as he did. "Whatever you say, lover boy," Chloe smirked teasingly.

Clark smiled meekly with embarrassment fixing his glasses softly. His eyes widened as he heard something, a whisper, it sounded like it was from miles, distant and faint but targeted. To him. Superman, it said faintly too distorted for him to make out, it felt familiar.

"Did you hear that?" Clark asked shocked.

"Err... I don't have super hearing remember?" Chloe said raising an eyebrow to Clark.

Clark didn't have time to focus on it. He looked up as something caught his vision. Writing on a TV screen sat on the ceiling reporting news from all over the city. It said: "HOSTAGE SITUATION AT PAWN SHOP ON FIFTH"

"I better go," Clark said urgently.

"Sure, I'm staying here and not doing my job," Chloe replied sarcastically storming off down the hall as did Clark. Lois pushed past them hurriedly.

"Sorry, cuz, Smallville, but that interview is mine," Lois said diving into the closing elevator smiling victoriously as the doors closed.

"You still wanna give her the interview?" Chloe groaned a little pissed, scrunching her lip grumbling.

"I'm thinking about it," Clark grumbled moving behind Chloe and rushing to the stair door and super speeding down the seventy flights of stairs. The navy blue suited blur of Clark disappearing and turning into the red and blue blur that was Superman as he transformed at super speed blasting through the doors of the Daily Planet building rocketing into the air.


"You are surrounded!" yelled Captain Maggie Sawyer down her megaphone to the gunmen whom held the hostage situation. The entire area was cut off. She glared over her shoulder watching the on lookers and reporters trying to get a look in. She turned back to the Pawn Shop, "come out with your hands up or we will come in after you."

"Eat this, pigs!" yelled one of the hostage takers firing wildly out of the window cutting at the police cars. Screams echoed around the area; police officers, onlookers and reporters ducked out of the way of the bullets, hiding behind the police cars and diving at the ground.

"They're getting desperate Captain," Detective Turpin growled as he lay on the ground, glass over him and his greying hair glaring under the car towards the pawn shop.

Sawyer leans against the car her gun ready looking over the hood of the car. "How long till SWAT get here?" she snarled desperately.

"Five minutes," called one of her officers.

"Those hostages will be dead by that time," Turpin growled.

Captain Sawyer glared at the ground. Turpin was right. It was hopeless, she had to act now. But one wrong move and they'll kill the hostages. She closed her eyes for a moment glaring over the hood of the car, shaking with rage trying to figure out what to do. Ten years on the force and she had no idea what to do.

"Captain?"

"Shh, Turpin I'm trying to..." Sawyer's train of speech was interrupted by the sight she'd had thought but a rumour, the sight that she had ignored and scoffed when her men talked about it.

Superman floated down to the ground in front of a shocked Captain Sawyer. "How many hostages Captain?" Superman asked firmly, Sawyer opened her mouth stunned, "hold on, let me check," he squinted looking through the walls to see five men and women and one child sat on the floor tied up, all looking scared. "Get your men ready to make the arrest."

"W-wait what are you doing?" Sawyer stammered, for the first time in her life except when she had met Toby.

"I'm going to stop them," Superman said shooting through the door of the deli causing it to splinter into a million pieces, shards of wood flying in the air as he stared angrily at the men with guns turning to him. There were three of them. They suddenly opened fire as he stood there motionless, letting the bullets hit him. They bounced off of him falling to the ground. They continued to fire the hostages looking on fearfully.

The Man of Steel's eyes flashed red firing blasts of heat vision at the gun men's guns. The gun men screamed in pain as the heat from their guns burnt their hands as hot metal met flesh. They dropped their guns looking at Superman fearfully yet unwilling to give up.

"Give up," Superman said sharply, "let these people go and you may get off lightly."

They didn't listen lunging at him.

For the hostages what they saw filled them with confusion as the three men suddenly fell to the ground without any sign of the Man of Steel moving. Unknown to them or rather what they were unable to see was Superman zooming at each gun man giving them sharpest yet softest blow, blows that although light and partially harmless would knock them out for least an hour. Superman looked down at the unconscious and winded men surrounding him.

"Don't worry," Superman said as burnt the ropes from around the hostages, "you're safe now."

"Thank you," the little boy cried hugging Superman.

"It's okay, son," Superman said softly, "I'm getting you out of here."

"W-what about these guys?" Dan Turpin asked curiously still getting over the shock as he walked up behind Superman.

"Oh they'll be fine," The Man of Tomorrow said kindly. "They'll feel dizzy when they wake up but they'll get over it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go."

"Hold it Superman," Sawyer ordered as she walked into the shop. "We need to ask you questions."

"Of course," Superman nodded understandably, "there are a lot of questions the world would like to know about me and I intend to answer them."

"Very well," Sawyer said lowering her gun and placing it in the holster, "if you'd like to come down town while we bring these thugs in."

"I'm sure you men can do that Captain Sawyer," Superman said kindly, "I feel you can find out everything about me here. If you wouldn't mind, might I ask if a reporter accompany the interview? I want what I say to be read by the world so like you, they may trust me."

Sawyer was shocked, he was giving her orders and yet, he was being so nice about it. How could she disoblige? She nodded without meaning to ordering her men to take the hostages and knocked out men away.

"What reporter would you like?" Sawyer asked as her men brought some of the reporters.

"Her," Superman said pointing at Lois, smiling, "she asked first."


The scene in which the Turpin, Sawyer and Lois found themselves in, in the next three minutes was the strangest either of them had ever been in. They had propped up chairs to sit down Superman sitting in front of them relaxed and smiling at them kindly feeling calm as Lois started to ask him questions.

"Okay," Lois said shifting excitedly in her seat let's start with your vital statistics, "How old are you?"

"Over 21," Superman replied enigmatically.

"How tall are you?"

"6"4, and I weigh 225," Superman replied trying to remember this stuff it had been a while since he had weighed himself.

"And are you married?" Lois asked without thinking blushing as she did. Both Sawyer and Turpin looking at disapprovingly.

"Miss Lane," Sawyer said sharply, "can we please get to the more important questions?"

"Sorry," Lois smiled innocently turning to Superman.

"No I'm not married," he said kindly, "but I think Miss Sawyer is right in that your readers might be less interested in my diet."

Lois smiled swoonily as he smiled at her shaking herself to get her head out of the clouds. "Right," she gulped getting her head straight, "Where do you come from? I mean, no one I've met has these powers... well meteor infected people do. Are you meteor infected?"

"No," Superman said at once, "my powers are connected to your son like all my people."

"And who exactly are your people?" Turpin said snarkily.

"I come from the planet Krypton," Superman replied understanding Turpin's distrust but still feeling a little irritated, "it was within the Xeno Galaxy."

"Was?" Lois asked sadly noting Superman's sadness.

"It blew up," Superman said, "my parents sent me to earth prior to the explosion."

"Excuse me if I don't believe the comic book tale but, what proof do you have to verify your story?" Turpin cried exasperated.

"Actually Detective, Dr. Virgil Swann found my planet years ago but never published his findings," Superman replied curtly, "if you'll contact his operation I'm sure they would verify it."

"What are you doing here?" Sawyer asked curiously ignoring Turpin's grumbling.

"I'm here to fight for truth justice and the American way," Superman said, "to help. That's all, Captain. If you'll let me."

Sawyer looked at him closely. His eyes were sincere. Everything about him was real. It felt good. It felt natural. She nodded with approval. He smiled broadly.

"Thank you," he said happily, "I'm glad."

"Superman!" yelled a voice down his ear, he looked around curiously, where was that voice coming from? It didn't sound like it was in trouble and yet it sounded desperate to see him.

"So what powers do you have?" Lois asked snapping Superman away from the voice, "I mean I assume they are real."

"Yes," Superman replied, "well, Super Strength, speed and breath, impervious to pain, heat vision, x-ray, telescopic and microscopic vision and super hearing."

"SUPERMAN!"

Superman focused hard listening in, where was that voice coming from it was so familiar. He glanced at Lois writing all of this down. He couldn't do this with them asking questions, he'd have to go now. Whatever this was, it was important.

"I don't mean to cut this short but, I have to be going," Superman said politely standing up, "I hear someone calling me."

"How convenient," Turpin grumbled under his breath.

"That's okay, I think we got everything," Sawyer said standing up, "right, Miss Lane?"

"Yes," Lois said, "that should do fine. Thanks."

"No, thank you Miss Lane," Superman said as they walked out of the shop, he floated in the air looking down on them, "now with the truth out, maybe people will start to trust me. Bye."

He flew away leaving Lois looking on in awe as was Sawyer, Turpin looked livid. "You're just letting him go, after that lame ass story?" he growled.

"He seemed sincere," Sawyer shrugged, "but if he steps out of line, we bring him in."


It took Superman a while to hone in on the voice, it had become louder as though the person was shouting it. Why couldn't he get a decent fix on it? He sounded angry, annoyed and impatient. Was he sure he wanted to see this person? His curiosity got the better of him as he headed west.

As he shot across the pacific, the voice became louder, the distorting crackling started to fade the closer he got. He could hear it getting clearer. He could hear her. Her eyes widened with shock as he heard her. Her voice.

He knew where she was. He turned spitting up water as he kicked off from the air towards Scotland. All the Scottish people saw was a blur; a red and blue blur rocketing through their cities, their countryside's heading towards a forest to where it was hidden, to where she was hidden. He stared ahead keeping his eyes on the two stone towers creeping over the trees, they grew as he got closer getting higher and higher joined by a stone wall until finally, there stood a castle.

Superman flicked his legs forward as though pressing his feet into the air to stop him from going any further. He stopped in mid-air. His eyes wide. His mouth open as he stood a foot away from the balustrade of the castle where petite blond stood smiling at him, tears in her eyes but happy tears. Superman looked at her stunned. He thought she was dead and yet here she was smiling at him as though it were yesterday.

"So you finally hear me then?" Buffy smirked.