NYELLO! Okay, first of all, I'm so, so, so, so, so incredibly sorry for not writing! I just have so much shit going on and so little inspiration, it's really hard to make myself read, let alone write! Anyway, enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Superman. Unfortunately. Or thank God? Depends.
Chapter 42 - Metropolis National
The news of the League stopping the meteor has somehow been leaked to various news stations across the world, and while Clark didn't really care whether or not the world knew about it, his parents actually really liked it. While they knew their son was a superhero, and according to them, the greatest of them all, it still didn't stop them from being incredibly proud of their son, of their little boy. They kept re-reading Lois' article over and over, something Clark could only chuckle about.
„Sources say the meteor was over 30 kilometers, or just under 19 miles. A meteor of this size and speed of over 50 000 kilometers per hour, or just over 30 000 miles per hour, would have been able to decimate all life on Earth. The meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs over 65 million years ago was half the size of the one the League has managed to stop with the combined efforts of Superman, whom stopped the meteor itself, Cyborg, and Batman, whom were helping the man of steel in his pursuit.
They have saved the world, and we can't do nothing but be grateful."
„Reading the article again, Pa?" asked Clark, his voice laced with amusement. He was leaning on a doorway, sipping apple juice.
Jonathan looked at him and smiled gently. „Apple juice can damage your teeth if you drink too much of it," he said.
Clark shrugged. „Not mine." His father only rolled his eyes in response, a fond smile on his face.
„Clark, you're going to be late for school if you keep up the talk with your pa!" yelled Martha from the other side of the house. Clark smiled. He wouldn't, but he appreciated the sentiment.
It was the beginning of October, and so to keep up appearances, Clark wore his leather jacket over his favorite flannel shirt, with the symbol of the House of El, containing his supersuit, right underneath.
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Clark's phone buzzed during AP Biology. The teacher shot him a look and Clark smiled apologetically. She sighed and turned back to the board. Clark, as discreetly as he could, checked his phone.
DINAH
9:47
HAVE YOU GOT YOUR PLUS ONE YET?
Dinah was, of course, referring to her wedding, to which Clark, just like the rest of the League, was invited. The wedding was to be in the middle of December, about 10 days before Christmas, and Clark was honored to have been invited. He just needed a date. He smiled. He indeed needed a date – with fierce silvery blue eyes, brown hair, and caring yet sassy attitude. He'd need to ask Sarah later that day.
10 minutes later, Clark's phones buzzed yet again, and this time, the death glare the teacher shot him would be capable of making a lesser man piss his pants. Or something worse. Clark gave her an apologetic look. Sometimes he thought the woman was a metahuman with superhuman senses, her hearing was that good.
Clark opened his phone to see a text from Sarah. She sent him a link to a Daily Planet article. He read the headline.
ROBBING GONE WRONG, HOSTAGES AT METROPOLIS NATIONAL BANK
„Mrs. Cruz, may I go to the toilet?" he asked.
She sighed, but nodded. Twenty seconds later, a sonic boom could be heard over Smallville.
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Please, let the hostages be alive, please, let the hostages be alive, please, let the hostages be alive, Clark thought over and over as he flew past Gotham and Star City. He broke the sound barrier approximately four times, and he'd need to slow down as to not to alert the robbers of his presence.
While Metropolis wasn't Clark's home, many people considered Metropolis to be the home of Superman, as it was the place where Superman had made his debut, successfully assisting in defeating various gas-posessed metahumans. Metropolis was under Superman's protection, even though he hasn't been to Metropolis in a few days.
Criminals sure are getting more and more cocky, he thought to himself.
Clark stopped mid-air right above Metropolis National Bank, about a mile above the building itself. He was high enough so that unless people actually looked and focused, they wouldn't be able to see him. He could, however, see everything going on right under him, thanks to his telescopic and x-ray vision.
Based on what he was able to see, there were 34 hostages, five of which were employees of the bank. He counted a total of seven robbers, all of them wearing ski masks, military grade armor and carrying various types of weapons, most of which a person would not be able to buy without military connection. Or black market.
The courtains were drawn shut, so were the windows and the doors, one robber stood in every corner, two were walking and watching the hostages to make sure none of them moved, while one of them moved freely across the floor.
Something seemed off. They weren't ordinary robbers, no. They had training, military grade armor and weapons. They were precise, their moves calculated. They had tactic. It didn't seem like an ordinary robbery, this seemed more like an operation.
Also the fact that they didn't even touch the vault was a hint.
Clark scanned all the hostages – all of them were bound by zip ties, their mouths shut by duct tape.
There were numerous police cars in front of the building, including some SWAT trucks. A negotiator was already there as well, speaking into a megaphone, trying to coerce the robbers out without them harming anyone. Clark knew it wouldn't work.
Gently, he descended. The officers started to notice him once he was about five hundred feet above the ground. He landed gently behind a SWAT truck, careful so that the robbers didn't see him. There was always a chance that they would panic and harm the hostages.
„Who's in charge here?" asked Clark.
„I am."
Clark turned around to see a man with dark bushy eyebrows. He reminded Clark of someone, he couldn't place him. The man outstretched a hand.
„Daniel Turpin, Special Crimes Unit. What are you doing here, Superman?" he asked.
Clark was a little taken aback, but he answered the officer. „I'm here to help. I scanned the building – 34 hostages, 7 robbers. One robber standing on each corner of the room, two watching the hostages, one moving freely across the room. All of them have military grade armor and weapons."
Despite Turpin's cold atittude, Turpin was impressed. He just gave them intel they desperately needed. The officer took out his walkie talkie and said, „SWAT team, prepare to move."
Clark's eyes widened. „What? Officer, if you go in, there's a chance that they might hurt the hostages!"
„And you've got a better idea?"
There was some silence between them, both men staring into each other's eyes, before Clark slowly said. „Send me in."
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John really hated his job. He hated living in Metropolis. And most of all, he hated being a hostage. Again.
God, if you're up there, let us be out of here soon. Please.
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Clark scanned the building one more time. The robbers nor the hostages haven't moved since his last scan. Good.
„Stand back," he ordered the officers behind him. They all took a couple of steps back.
Not even a second later, Superman broke through the door, glass shards flying everywhere. None of them reached the hostages. The robbers instinctively looked at him, their bodies reacting to the noise. Clark could hear sharp intakes of breath not only from the hostages, but from the robbers as well.
Clark looked at them. „Please, give up now before I force you to." His voice was calm yet firm, but there was immense power in his eyes.
He could see two of the robbers slowly loosing their grips on their guns, but he could also see five of them only gripping them tighter.
Thirty seconds later, all of the robbers were unconscious on the ground, their ski masks right next to them, revealing their faces. Clark didn't recognize any of them.
He helped the hostages up and broke their zip ties.
„Thank you, Superman," said an elderly lady after he gently helped her up. Clark smiled gently at her, letting his farm boy persona slip through a little bit.
„I do everything I can, ma'am," he replied.
There were many reporters standing outside the building, all of them hoping to hear Superman give a statement. Today would not be their lucky day, as Superman flew away without another word, only a nod to officer Turpin.
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„You missed Biology," said Sarah non-chalantly.
„How would you know?" asked Clark slyly.
In response, she showed him an article on her phone.
SUPERMAN SAVES HOSTAGES OF METROPOLIS NATIONAL BANK
Clark rolled his eye and hugged her to his side. Sarah laughed and nestled into his side, breathing him in.
„Well, you sent me the article," he said.
„And you saved the lives of thirty people," she retorted.
Sarah and Clark were currently in front of the school premises, school having ended only about five minutes ago. Clark managed to return to AP Biology only seconds before the bell rang, earning a murderous glare from his teacher. He shrugged and said something about prostate and bladder problems. She sighed, telling him only that there'd be a test tomorrow.
The rest of the day went pretty well, all things considered. There was no emergency the other League members couldn't handle. He got a text from Bruce, saying that he should not skip school. Clark responded with a :) emoji, something he knew would only irritate Bruce further, but he could not bring himself to care that much.
„You wanna go to a wedding with me?" he asked suddenly.
Sarah stopped walking immediately, and in turn, Clark stopped as well. He looked down at her, the surprise in her eyes quite evident.
„A what?"
„A wedding."
„Whose wedding?"
„Dinah and Oliver," he explained. Seeing her look, her clarified. „Black Canary and Green Arrow?"
She gasped. „Black Canary and Green Arrow are getting married?" she all but screeched.
„Yes?" It came out as a question, and really, it kind of was. He didn't know his girlfriend was a fan of the superhero couple, even though no one outside the League knew that they were actually a couple.
„Why me though?" she asked a couple of minutes later, after she managed to calm down.
„Why you what? Sarah, you're my girlfriend, and I love you, and you're the only one I'd ever think about attending a wedding with."
She beamed at him.
„You just wanted me to say that I love you, didn't you?"
„... Yes?"
Without Sarah having a chance to react, Clark scooped her up so that she was face to face with him, hugged her close to him, and said quietly, „I love you," before kissing her, slowly and gently.
Once they were apart, Sarah put her hands on his face and caressing his cheek, she replied, „I love you too, Clark. More than you'll ever know."
