Hailey groaned and coughed. She tried to move but someone held her down. She felt like something had been pulled out of her throat.
"There you go," said a female voice. "You're safe now."
Safe? Hailey opened her eyes to see the face of a black woman smiling down at her. The woman moved aside and then there was an older woman. She was Asian and wore a doctor's coat.
"I'm Doctor Meili Su," she said calmly. When the doctor smiled, it looked practiced not gentle like the black woman's smile. "You were brought to Metropolis General two days ago. I'm glad to see you awake. Do you know why you're here?"
Hailey shook her head.
"That's okay," said the doctor. "If you manage to keep up your strength, we'll be able to let you out as early as tomorrow."
"Okay," Hailey said and coughed. She looked around once the nurse helped her into a seated position. She saw a man standing by the foot of the bed. He smiled at her and she whimpered. She was afraid of him. What if he was there to take her back to that cell?
"Oh, it looks like she's happy to see you, Mr. Luthor," said the nurse. She squeezed Hailey's arm.
Luthor? Lex Luthor? Why is he here? What does he want?
Lex smiled and nodded before he walked out into the hallway to talk to the doctor.
"He's been sitting by your bed since we called him to notify him that you were here."
Hailey looked at the nurse and nodded. A tear slid down her face. Did Lex Luthor know who she was? Had he called Bruce? What about Dick? Did he know where she was?
"It's okay, sweetie," said the nurse. She handed Hailey a cup of water. "You've had quite an ordeal. If you need anything, press this button." The nurse showed her the call button that she hung off of the railing. "Okay, dear. I'll be right outside at the nurse's station if you need me."
"Thank you," Hailey said with a hoarse voice. The nurse squeezed her eyes again and walked out.
"Hello," Lex Luthor said as he walked into the room.
"Why do they think that you're my guardian?" Hailey asked him.
"I may have fibbed a little," Lex said with a shrug.
"Why?"
"If I hadn't, they would've called CPS," he said as he sat in the chair next to the bed. Hailey flinched when she heard the name of the agency. The agency that Mona had said she was from. "I don't know what you know about the foster system, but I didn't think you would want to be placed with them. It was lucky I was here when they brought you in. I recognized you right away."
"Did you call my dad?"
Lex sighed and shook his head. "Bruce Wayne is a busy man," he told her. "From what I heard, he's already adopted two teens to replace you."
Lex grabbed a newspaper that was on the side table. He held it open for her. It was the Daily Planet. The front-page story was an exclusive with Bruce announcing that he'd adopted Tim Drake. Then Lex held out another paper. This one was the Gotham Gazette. It had a front-page photo of Bruce Wayne with an Asian teen. The reporter, Vicky Vale, mentioned that she had recently been adopted by Bruce. The dates had been circled on both papers. The dates were only a few months apart.
"I think he has a full house, don't you think?" Hailey looked away from Lex. "You want to know what wasn't in the papers?" Hailey didn't answer him. "There was never a story about you having gone missing. There wasn't even a missing person's report filed at the precinct. And when my assistant called to ask Bruce Wayne about you, he said he had no idea who she was referring to."
Hailey looked at him then. She wasn't sure if she should believe him or not. And she knew that Clark didn't like Lex Luthor. Because Lex Luthor was dangerous. But he'd never been convicted of any crimes. No one could ever find enough evidence to take him to trial.
"Hailey Thomas doesn't exist. Not on paper. Not in the system. But when my assistant ran your prints, the name Helena Gadd came up. Looks like you were in the foster system since your adoptive father, Jasper, was murdered. So I had her hack into the system to assign myself as your guardian. I told the doctor that you were kidnapped and that I hadn't reported the incident to the police because your abductors threatened to kill you if I did. I'm keeping a guard by your door just in case they attempt another kidnapping. I can assure you, dear, that you will be safe with me."
"Do you know a woman named Mona Long?" Hailey asked him and Lex narrowed his eyes at her. "She was the woman who kidnapped me."
"I'll have my assistant look into her," Lex said and pulled out his phone. "Mercy, Mona Long. Find her." He paused to listen to whatever his assistant's answer was. "Be a dear and dispose of the trash."
"Are you sure she can find her? I don't think that she used her real name," Hailey told him.
"Mercy is very good at what she does."
"What about the man? The guard? Will she find him too?"
"Tell me everything and I will make sure she does."
Hailey told him everything that happened. From the man who she shot to what happened at the precinct. Then with a detached voice, she told him about the cell and what that man had done to her after Mona turned off the surveillance.
Lex looked livid. Hailey didn't know this man. She'd only met him once briefly. She didn't understand why he was getting so upset on her behalf but it made her trust him a little.
After he took a breath, he called Mercy once more and told her that Mona had an accomplice. That was all he said before he hung up.
"If you stay with me, no one will ever touch you again," Lex promised.
"And if I don't?" Hailey said in challenge.
"Well, where else would you go?" Lex said. He sounded amused.
"With my mom," Hailey told him and watched him carefully.
"I had no idea you had one," Lex said, raising his eyebrows in surprise.
"I don't," Hailey said with a pout.
"Very well," Lex said with a small smile. "I won't force you to come with me. I will, however, give you until tomorrow to decide. Either way, Mercy will make sure that Mona and her associate never bother you again."
"Just like that?" Hailey said curiously.
"I have a lot of power and money at my disposal," Lex said with a shrug. "I don't mind sharing it with you. But I won't force you to come with me. See you tomorrow."
Hailey watched him go. She noticed the security detail in the hall when Lex said something to them before he disappeared from sight.
Once she knew she was alone, Hailey started to call on Superman. She didn't speak loud enough for the guard to hear. But she knew if Superman were in town, he'd hear her. It took longer than she thought it would but suddenly there was a shadow coming from the window. She turned to look and he was out there hovering. He was staring at her but she couldn't see his face.
"Superman," Hailey said softly. "You came."
Her window opened slowly and he floated into the room. And that was when she noticed it, he didn't recognize her. He looked a little older than she remembered. She hadn't seen him in over a year but that wasn't long enough for it to change him.
"Is there anything I can do to help, miss?" he said, noticing the guard at the door who hadn't noticed Superman's entrance.
"Who are you?" Hailey said with a slight frown. "You're not the same Superman that I know. You look like him but you're older."
"How did you know him?" he said and came closer. Realizing his height could be intimidating to a youngster, he took a seat in the chair.
"He was my godfather," Hailey said and looked down at her lap.
"I'm sorry," he said to her. He sounded sincere. "He passed away a few months ago. No one told you?"
Hailey shook her head. "No. I was too busy being kidnapped to find out."
"Oh, I'm so sorry," he said and looked at the guard again. "Is that why?"
"Yeah, Lex Luthor posted him there to protect me just in case they come back."
"Lex Luthor?" Superman said, sounding offended.
"Yeah, he's being a good samaritan," Hailey said with a shrug. "Doesn't sound like you like him? My godfather didn't like him either. Mr. Luthor wants to take me in as his ward or daughter. I don't know which. All I know is that he's my legal guardian now."
"Do you want to live with him?"
"I don't have anywhere else to go," Hailey said and her lip wobbled. "I thought maybe, Cl—" She hiccuped a sob before she could finish what she was saying. Was he really dead?
Superman put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it. "I'll come back tomorrow with my wife. If you'll have us, you can be a part of our family."
"I don't know what I want," Hailey said through a thick throat. "I'm just really scared and lonely."
"Hey, you're not alone. Not anymore," Superman told her then he sat next to her and pulled her into his side.
Hailey leaned her head on his body and cried quietly. "Is he-is he really dead?"
"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Superman told her.
"I used to call him mom," Hailey said after a minute.
Superman chuckled and looked down at her. He moved a piece of her hair behind her ear. "Why?"
"Because the word godfather reminded me of that mobster movie. And he floated like a fairy godmother, so I called him mom for short."
"And I could imagine that he never corrected you," he said, a grin on his face.
"Oh, he did at first but then he just gave up when Lois thought it was funny."
"That makes sense," he said through a smile but then he took in a quick breath.
"What?" Hailey said moving a little to look up at him.
"Lois," he said and looked pained. "His Lois. She passed away too."
"His Lois?"
"I'm married to Lois Lane. But the one you met…"
"Oh," Hailey said and sniffed. "I didn't know her very well. But that sucks."
"I know," Superman said with a small nod. Then his head jerked to the side. He looked out the window.
"You have to go save someone, don't you?"
"Yes," Superman said looking down at her. He shifted away from her carefully before he stood up. "I'll be back tomorrow."
Hailey nodded and Superman left, closing the window before flying off. Hailey curled up on her side and kept her eyes open. Because every time she closed them she felt like she was back in that cell. She felt weak and her eyes were heavy but she struggled to keep them open. That was when Jason walked in and sat in the seat beside her.
"What book was I reading to you last?" he asked curiously as he thumbed through the book in his hand.
"Lord of the rings. I can't remember which one," Hailey said, and then she looked at him with a slight frown. "What are you doing here, Jason?"
"What do you mean? Who do you think brought you here?" he said and looked at her with a smirk. "I promised I'd get you out, didn't I?"
"But you're dead, Jason," Hailey told him and he frowned.
"If I was dead, how am I here with you?"
"Jason," Hailey said in a louder tone. "It's been three years since I saw you last. You wouldn't look the same anymore."
"Show's what you know," Jason said with a grin. "I'm like Peter Pan. I will never grow up."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Hailey said and yawned.
"Close your eyes," Jason told her. "I'm going to read to you until you fall asleep. And I'll stay here all night. Okay?"
"Yeah, okay," Hailey said and closed her eyes at the sound of Jason's voice lulling her to sleep.