It was a freezing day in metropolis. Jack waited impatiently for the lock
to open up. He wiggled the safety pin around carefully. He'd done this a
thousand times, but his hands were numb from the cold and the metal's touch
wasn't helping things. Finally it popped. He smiled and opened up the door.
Quickly he started to grab things that he thought would be of any value.
Camera's, trophy's, CD's, video's, a Dictaphone on the desk. He searched
without caring what he knocked over. And why should he care?
When he was sure there was nothing-obvious left, he started to leave. But out of the corner of his eye he noticed a shining light coming from the bedroom. He took a few steps so he could see inside. There was a small box, locked and on the bookshelf. *Why would he lock it if it wasn't valuable* he thought. So he got out the pin again and worked on the smaller lock until it popped like the other. Then he reached inside and stuffed a spherical shaped object into the bag with the rest of the junk. Quietly he shut the front door behind him as he left, trying to look inconspicuous. When he was pretty far away from the apartment he began to run. The cold wind hit his face as he ran, but he didn't care, the adrenaline pumping through his system and keeping him warm. He came to an abandoned warehouse in the west side of town and pulled open the door.
Inside, two beds were set out, with a small table in the middle. His brother was sleeping in one of them, and Jack smiled at him. As silently as possible, so as not to wake him, Jack emptied the bag onto his bed. He looked over his load and then his attention came to the globe again.
"What are you," whispered curiously. He picked up the globe, holding it carefully in his hand. Suddenly some kind of hologram appeared and Jack watched in shock.
"This is the second of the 5 times I will appear. You may wonder that I speak your language and not my native Kryptonian," it said, before Jack through it back onto the bed, a little weirded out. As soon as he did the message stopped. *What the hell was that* he thought.
"Jack?" came his brother voice. The message had woken his brother. He cursed inside. He needed all the sleep he could get. To make up for it, he picked up a container of water he remembered he had picked up.
"Yeah, here, you thirsty?" he asked his little brother Denny.
"Yeah," Denny replied enthusiastically.
"Here you go, alright?" he said, passing the container to his brother and watching him take a thirsty swig.
"So, how'd you do?" Denny asked, brightly.
Jack grinned. "I did good."
"Let me see," Denny said happily.
Jack chuckled slightly. It wasn't often that they got to be perky about anything. He watched his brother rifle through the goodies with sad eyes though. These were things they could never afford to have, and had never had. Denny picked up the camera.
"Cheese," he said, grinning and taking a picture.
"Cut that out," Jack said playfully, getting up and joining him by the bed.
Denny suddenly noticed the globe on the bed. He pointed to it.
"What's that?" he asked curiously, not taking his eyes of it.
"Our ticket outta here," Jack replied simply.
Denny reached out to hold it, but Jack stopped him.
"Hey, uh, careful, don't touch it," he said, sounding too protective.
"Why? What'll happen?" Denny whined, annoyed that he wasn't allowed to play.
"Never mind," he told him, hoping that his curiosity wouldn't go too far. It didn't.
"You think its worth something?" Denny asked.
"Yeah, a lot," he said, almost to himself. It has to be worth something. That guy in the hologram had a superman 'S' on his chest. There must be loads of criminals that would love the information that globe could provide. This could be their chance.
"We just have to find the right buyer," he told his brother.
"How do we do that?" Denny asked incredulously.
"We advertise," Said Jack, a grin forming again. He picked up the camera and raises it to his face. Then with his free hand he reached out, touching the device.
- -
-
That night, Jack went to meet someone who had already shown interest based on the pictures he had taken of the hologram. He waited outside a factory in the industrial estate not far from his home. The night was even colder than the day but he tried no to let it get to him. He couldn't be shivering if he was dealing with people with a lot of money. They might see him as weak.
To men came round a corner from an alleyway hardly visible if you didn't know it was there. The first had short white hair, and a well-kept beard of the same colour. The second man wore a hat and high-necked coat so that jack could not see his face in the shadows. The first man looked at Jack expectantly.
"Do you have something for me," he said, with a very noticeable English accent.
Jack was too suspicious to just hand it over. "Who is he?" he asked, gesturing towards the guy behind him. But the English man ignored him.
"Where is the item," he asked directly.
Jack was still wary, but he pressed on. "It's a thousand," he told him, as though afraid they were planning on bringing him no money.
The English man held up the thousand in cash. At the sight of the money, Jack became suddenly more co-operative, eager to get it and get out of there before they changed their minds. He brought out the globe, which he had wrapped in cloth so that it didn't turn on again.
The second man spoke up, his accent was American, but very proper sounding and well educated. *Who are these people* he thought.
"We understand there is some display," he said, hinting that Jack shows them.
He pulled the covers off of it and touched it with his hand.
"This is the second of the 5 times i will appear. You may wonder that i speak your language and not my native Kryptonian," the hologram said again.
When it ended, Jack looked at them arrogantly.
"Pay him," the second guy said without hesitation, the display being more than enough to convince him.
Jack wrapped the globe back up and reached out for the money, doing and exchange. He leafed through the bills hungrily. He had never held so much money in his hands.
"You found this you say?" said the second man.
That was the story Jack had made up. He didn't want them calling the police and telling them he robbed Clark Kent's apartment.
"The dumpster on third. People throw away some strange stuff sometimes. I guessed it had something to do with superman," Jack lied.
"Well if you find any more strange stuff, you'll let us know," the second man told him, not asked.
"I'll do that. How do I get in touch with you?" Jack asked, although he knew he would never find anything like it again. But he didn't want them thinking he was now useless. Who knows what they would do. I mean they could be killers.
The English guy replied. "Just leave word. We'll find you."
Jack turns and starts to leave.
"Something to so with superman," he hears the second guy say eagerly.
- -
-
Jack sat in a chair in a small gaming room. Some guy called Louis was playing pool, but watching him everywhere he went. Jack returned his gaze defiantly. However, when people enter, they are both forced to break it.
"Lois, honey," Louis, shouted, greeting her with a hug, "And Mr Kent, nice to see you again.
The Kent guy shook Louis' hand and looked over at Jack. Jack looked back at him with disdain.
"Are you sure that's him?" he asked sceptically.
"Is that your stuff?" Louis asked.
Kent walked over to the stolen goods on the table. He moved a few, seemingly searching for something, and Jack knew what that something was. He stayed quiet though, hoping he wouldn't be asked about that.
"Most of it," Kent said unenthusiastically.
"He tried to move it through a guy who knows a guy I know," Louis told them, referring to the black market dealer who had set Jack up. He was so going to get back at him somehow.
"He had this on him, this yours," he added, holding up the money from the globe's sale.
"No," Kent shook his head and went back to looking at the pile of his belongings.
The very attractive women, who Louis had referred to as Lois, put out her hand to take the money. Suddenly feeling completely violated, Jack shouted out.
"Hey, that's my money lady," he said angrily.
She walked over to him with the money in her hand.
"Did you rob this man's apartment," she said, gesturing to the Kent guy who looked on.
"I found that junk in a dumpster," he told her, using the same lie as before. "I should have left it there," he added for affect.
"How old are you?" said Kent. *Oh, shit, don't tell me he's gonna do the sympathy thing. God help me* Jack thought and retorted sarcastically, "How old are you?"
He pulled at the cuffs he had been working on since he got tied up here. His hand was beginning to slip through the small gap.
"Look, I don't know anything, so let me go," he said, lifting his hand free of the cuffs that he had finally slipped through.
"Louis," shouted Lois, assuming that it was due to poor not tying that he had gotten loose. People always underestimated him. It was a blessing most of the time.
"Be careful, you got yourself a real rabbit there," Louis replied, making it clear that he was not at fault. He chucked her the keys to the cuffs and she bent down to unlock them. Jack leaned his hands towards her to make it easier. Jack rubbed at his wrists. They were red and sore from were he had struggled so much
"Lois, we're not the law, he's just a kid," Said Kent, doing that sympathetic thing again. Jack always thought people like that were so completely naive.
"Yeah, I could sue you for kidnapping," Jack replied, regaining his attitude now that he was free.
Louis made a fake scared motion and walked away. Lois looked at him indignantly.
"You still haven't answered my question," she said, "Did you rob this man's apartment?"
A half laugh escaped Jack's mouth. Did she honestly think he was going to just tell her? If she did she was insane.
He decided she was definitely insane when she held out the cash in front of him and asked "Where did you get this money."
He got ready to grab it.
"Look we don't have to involve the police. I just want to ask you about some personal items that are still missing. ONE in particular," Kent said, as though knowing Jack would respond.
He looked up at him at the word one and then looked back down. He wasn't going to get distracted.
"You could save yourself a lot of trouble if you just..." Lois began.
But Jack grabbed the money and ran out the door too fast for her to stop him. "Hey!" she shouted after him.
He ran down the road, round a corner and stopped at the wall too take a breath. Looking back and seeing no one coming, Jack walked on more casually. As he came to another corner, he found himself face to face with the Kent guy. *How did he get here so quick* he thought, before being grabbed by both shoulders.
Jack squirmed in the Kent guys grip but it was to no avail. This guy was way stronger than he looked and acted.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to hurt you," the guy protested, and Jack stopped moving and gave him a cold stare.
"Now be straight with me and I'll let you go, i promise," Kent told him. Jack decided to co-operate. He just wanted to get home.
"Do you have the globe," he asked directly.
Jack shook his head honestly, as he tried to catch his breath. "I sold it, i had to.
"Sold it to who," he said, concern rising in his voice.
"I don't know, some guys. I took some pictures of it, passed it around, you know," he told him. Jack sighed. "Look, they were older guys, kind of strange."
"Well, what did they look like?"
"I don't remember," Jack said, getting a little frustrated with all the questions.
"Do you have any idea where the globe is right now?" Kent said, his hands still gripping Jack's shoulders.
"No," Jack replied, meeting his gaze as well as he could. "And that's the truth man."
Kent backed off a bit. His whole body relaxed as though he had forgotten to breath while asking his questions. *Was it really that important?*
"What's your name," he asked.
*So he had to be friendly now?*
"Jack," Jack replied.
"Just Jack," Kent questioned.
"Yeah, just Jack," he said defiantly. Then he went back to his curiosity. "This globe yours?"
Kent seemed unsure what to say. He hesitated and then told him, "I've been keeping it."
Jack decided to push further. "How's it work. And who's the guy with the superman 'S'?"
He wished he hadn't asked when Kent grabbed him roughly, causing him to cry out in pain. "Wait, how did you...?"
Kent saw that he had hurt him and backed off again. "Sorry. How do you know about him?"
"When i touched it a man appeared. He talked to me," Jack told him honestly.
"What did he say?" Kent asked. He looked desperate, and Jack couldn't figure out why.
"Uh, something like this is the second time i will appear. Something like that," he said a little shakily. He really just wanted to get away from this guy now. He was odd.
"Is that all?" He asked finally.
"Yeah, it stopped when I dropped it," he said, sighing. He looked from Kent's hand on his shoulder to his face. "You gonna cut me loose?"
"Where are you gonna go?"
Jack smirked. *What was up with these people? Did they have no sense?*
"No way am I gonna tell you," He replied, and then added, "and don't try to follow me."
"I won't follow you," Kent assured him. "But here, it's my card," he said handing him a small square piece of paper with his number, name and office number on. "Give me a call if you wanna talk okay?"
Jack rubs his arm gently were Clark grabbed it. It really did hurt. He took the card and started to walk away, relieved that he could just go.
"Jack," Kent called after him. He turned around reluctantly. Kent took off his jacket and handed it to him. "Here, take it," he said.
Jack looked at him, giving him an 'as if' look. He did not like charity.
"It's freezing, take it," Clark persisted.
Jack took it. It seemed the only way he could get rid of this guy. Plus it was cold, and it was a designer jacket, so he could make a bit of money on it. He walked backwards, looking after Clark with a small thank you on his face. The he began to run.
- - -
Jack went back to his normal routine without much change. He and his brother were very close. They were the only family that each of them had, and Jack would do anything for his brother. He and Denny were sitting on their beds staring up at the ceiling.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to afford the kind of apartment with a see through roof. That'd be so cool," said Denny, dreamily.
"Maybe one day," his brother replied, but he knew there wasn't much chance.
"We could just stare up at the stars for hours," Denny added.
Jack tried to imagine it. Now that would be contentment. If only he could realise his brother's dream.
They both turned towards the door as they head someone open it. Jack sat up.
"Get behind the wall," he whispered to his brother.
Jack grabbed a baseball bat and hid behind the closer wall. He got ready as the intruder entered.
"Jack," said a familiar voice. It was Clark. That's what his name had been on the card anyway.
Jack stepped out from behind the wall, still holding up the bat. Clark put up his hands defensively and Jack relaxed the bat onto his shoulder.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, "How'd you find me?" "Louis," Clark confessed. "He knows guys who know guys. Look I need an answer to a question."
*Could he be any vaguer* Jack thought.
Clark seemed to be distracted by something behind Jack. *Must be Denny* he thought.
"Who's there?" Clark said, as Denny started to come out from behind the second wall.
"It's alright," Jack spoke up to his brother, "I need you to take a walk."
"Come on Jack, I..." he began to protest.
"Do it," Jack cut him short. Then he added, "not too far," protectively.
Denny reluctantly left through the back exit leaving Clark and Jack alone.
"Jack, you can't live here, like this," Clark said, looking around at the small room that Jack called home.
*Easy for you to say* he thought.
"We've got a plan. As soon as I get enough money together," Jack told him.
"By stealing?" Clark asked suggestively.
Jack gave him a look that said back off and he did. Jack half laughed under his breath.
"Ask your question, then get out," he told him.
"Who was that other kid?" Clark said. You could definitely tell he was a reporter. He just wouldn't back down.
"What's it to you?" Jack said defensively. Then he lowered his guard a bit. "He's my brother."
"Well what about your parents? " Jack looked sideways and shook his head.
"I mean, isn't there some place you can go or someone who can..." Clark tried, but Jack cut him off.
"We tried that, lots of times. We're better off this way," Jack answered.
Clark hesitated, and then got back to why he was here.
"The men who bought the globe. What did they look like? The truth."
"I only saw one of them," Jack revealed, "Tall, skinny, English dude. I never saw him before or since.
Clark seemed satisfied with this. Then Denny re-entered and joined Jack.
"Jack, I can help you, both of you. If you let me," Clark said.
"You wanna help us?" Jack asked. "Leave us alone."
Clark nodded, giving in. Then he left. Jack relaxed and looked to his brother.
- - -
That same night, Jack lay awake in bed, listening to his brother's snore. He smiled slightly, happy that at least one of them could sleep. His ears pricked up to a noise outside. It was a truck pulling up. He could hear voices as men came out of the truck. He sat up quickly.
The men entered and surrounded the beds. Denny began to stir and sat up, almost screaming when he saw people around him.
"Jack, what's going on," said his terrified brother.
"Did Clark Kent send you?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Our boss wants to ask you a few questions about an item you sold to him. So you're going to come with us now," The front man said gruffly.
Jack gulped and stood up.
"Make me," he said firmly.
A guy on the right of the front man tried to grab for him, but Jack ducked out of the way and ran to his brother, pushing him towards the door.
"Go get help," he told him, and Denny ran off out the back.
The men made no move to follow him. The guy that had tried to grab him made for another try but jack kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back into another of the men. Before he could deflect it, the front man, took a punch to Jack's face and he felt the taste of blood on his lips. Then the man reached inside his pocket and pulled out a stunner. He rammed the electric device under Jack's throat causing a current to shock through his body. He fell to the bed unconscious.
- - -
He woke up in complete darkness, and for a minute he wondered if he had died. But then he heard voices that proved him wrong.
"How is the patient?" Someone said, and Jack thought he recognised the voice as the hidden man he had sold the globe to.
"Oh, he should come around soon. Sorry for the delay, the boy put up quite a struggle. The boys thought it best to, um, zap him," said the English guy.
"Oh the boys. Boys boys boys," the first man said in a singsong voice. "So what did we learn from the fingerprint check, tell me about our Jack.
"Well, you see, abandoned by his parents, raised in a succession of foster homes and state institutions. Escaped from the last with his brother 3 months ago, living on the streets, supporting himself by acts of petty crime," The English guy told the first. Hearing his life repeated in such an uncaring way made Jack bite his tongue.
"Oh, another young life failed by the system," the first man said sadly.
Jack smelt cigar smoke as the English man said, "yes, I'm afraid so."
"Good," said the first, in a complete change of character. "Then no one will miss him."
Jack couldn't hold back anymore. "I doubt anyone would miss a scumbag like you either," he said with venom.
"Ah, he talks," the first said, quite unaffected by the remark.
Jack struggled in the chair. The bonds were really tight and it hurt to move his hands but he didn't stop trying. "Let me out of here," he growled.
"I will," he said simply. Then his voice became darker and Jack felt his breath on his face. "When you tell me where you got the globe."
"I told you, I found it in a dumpster," Jack persisted with his story.
"No, no, I'm afraid that won't do. There is not a single sole in the world that would throw away that item. Let's try again shall we," he replied.
Jack stayed silent.
"Of course if you don't tell us, we will be forced to take other measures. Maybe involve your brother Denny," Lex added.
At the mention of his brother, Jack was filled with fear. He didn't want Denny to suffer because of one stupid mistake he had made. But he didn't want to involve Clark either. Finally it came down to who was more important.
"Alright," Jack said. "I'll tell you."
"Yes, yes," The first said eagerly.
Jack felt disgusted with himself, but he knew he didn't have a choice if he wanted to save his brother. "I stole it from Clark Kent's apartment."
The men fell silent. Then the English guy spoke up. "Well, now, that is interesting."
"Very," said the first. "I will have to be having words with Mr Kent about that."
Jack fell inward, ashamed of what he'd done.
"But that will have to wait, it's show time."
Jack heard another voice that sounded like the one from the hologram.
"We have installed the hyper light drive and tested it as best we can. So much is unknown. Contained within the sphere is the navigational system that will guide the ship through the maze of hyper space, as well as this account of our final days."
The room fell quiet again, until a beeping alarm sounded.
"Incoming," said the English man from across the room.
"Activate defences," said the first guy.
"Level one breached."
"It can't be," the man breathed.
"Level two," the Englishman stated.
"It's him."
"Three."
"Emergency evacuation on my count. Activate self destruct mode now!" the first man ordered.
He heard someone moving around and then the first man said "No, leave it, leave everything."
"The boy?" the Englishman questioned.
"Him too. There's only one thing i want."
Jack began to panic. If that was a bomb they had set up then he was done for. No one knew he was down here, no on was coming for him. In a few minutes he'd be no more than a pile of ash.
He heard the first man cry out in frustration at something.
"Level 4. Sir, sir we must..." the English man protested.
"NO!"
"We haven't time sir, we must evacuate immediately."
"No it's mine," the first man shouted irrationally. Then Jack heard a door close. Just as it did, something made an enormous crashing noise. In seconds, Jack was untied and un-blind folded. It was Superman. When he was certain Jack was okay, he stepped over to the bomb and regarded it intently. Then he used his freeze breath to stop it from blowing up.
He walked casually around the room and then put his hand out, for the globe was floating in the air. It drifted down to him and as it touched his hand a final vision occurred.
"I try to picture you where you are now as hear this last chapter. What you look like. Are you alone? What have you become? Lara and i will never know, but that you live to experience this is enough. We are content. We give you to earth, to a realm called America, and a place called Kansas, remember us and do not regret our passing. All is fate."
The message ended and Jack looked from Superman to the globe.
"Whoa," he uttered.
"Can you keep a secret?" Superman asked. Jack nodded, and Superman carried him to safety.
- -
-
A young reporter was showing Jack round the newsroom in his twenties. He was a bit shallow and Jack didn't like him much, but he pretended to listen to what the guy had to say. He was thankful to Clark for getting him a job and finding him and his brother places to stay, but how could he leave him with this motor mouth? He left him in mid sentence when he couldn't take anymore and walked down a set of stairs to the bottom part of the room. He heard someone call out.
"Hey, you, how about bringing us around some coffee here will you?" said Perry White, the editor of the newspaper.
"I don't do coffee," Jack said, his old attitude back where it should be. "It's not in the job description. Read the manual gramps."
Seeing the red faced looked on the old man's face, he smiled and stalked off. From behind him he heard "Who was that kid?"
"Hey! Come here," Perry shouted after him, and Jack ran to the nearest exit. As he hid, he thought back on what he had told the man in that room. The information he had given would someday get back at him. He just knew it.
The End
When he was sure there was nothing-obvious left, he started to leave. But out of the corner of his eye he noticed a shining light coming from the bedroom. He took a few steps so he could see inside. There was a small box, locked and on the bookshelf. *Why would he lock it if it wasn't valuable* he thought. So he got out the pin again and worked on the smaller lock until it popped like the other. Then he reached inside and stuffed a spherical shaped object into the bag with the rest of the junk. Quietly he shut the front door behind him as he left, trying to look inconspicuous. When he was pretty far away from the apartment he began to run. The cold wind hit his face as he ran, but he didn't care, the adrenaline pumping through his system and keeping him warm. He came to an abandoned warehouse in the west side of town and pulled open the door.
Inside, two beds were set out, with a small table in the middle. His brother was sleeping in one of them, and Jack smiled at him. As silently as possible, so as not to wake him, Jack emptied the bag onto his bed. He looked over his load and then his attention came to the globe again.
"What are you," whispered curiously. He picked up the globe, holding it carefully in his hand. Suddenly some kind of hologram appeared and Jack watched in shock.
"This is the second of the 5 times I will appear. You may wonder that I speak your language and not my native Kryptonian," it said, before Jack through it back onto the bed, a little weirded out. As soon as he did the message stopped. *What the hell was that* he thought.
"Jack?" came his brother voice. The message had woken his brother. He cursed inside. He needed all the sleep he could get. To make up for it, he picked up a container of water he remembered he had picked up.
"Yeah, here, you thirsty?" he asked his little brother Denny.
"Yeah," Denny replied enthusiastically.
"Here you go, alright?" he said, passing the container to his brother and watching him take a thirsty swig.
"So, how'd you do?" Denny asked, brightly.
Jack grinned. "I did good."
"Let me see," Denny said happily.
Jack chuckled slightly. It wasn't often that they got to be perky about anything. He watched his brother rifle through the goodies with sad eyes though. These were things they could never afford to have, and had never had. Denny picked up the camera.
"Cheese," he said, grinning and taking a picture.
"Cut that out," Jack said playfully, getting up and joining him by the bed.
Denny suddenly noticed the globe on the bed. He pointed to it.
"What's that?" he asked curiously, not taking his eyes of it.
"Our ticket outta here," Jack replied simply.
Denny reached out to hold it, but Jack stopped him.
"Hey, uh, careful, don't touch it," he said, sounding too protective.
"Why? What'll happen?" Denny whined, annoyed that he wasn't allowed to play.
"Never mind," he told him, hoping that his curiosity wouldn't go too far. It didn't.
"You think its worth something?" Denny asked.
"Yeah, a lot," he said, almost to himself. It has to be worth something. That guy in the hologram had a superman 'S' on his chest. There must be loads of criminals that would love the information that globe could provide. This could be their chance.
"We just have to find the right buyer," he told his brother.
"How do we do that?" Denny asked incredulously.
"We advertise," Said Jack, a grin forming again. He picked up the camera and raises it to his face. Then with his free hand he reached out, touching the device.
- -
-
That night, Jack went to meet someone who had already shown interest based on the pictures he had taken of the hologram. He waited outside a factory in the industrial estate not far from his home. The night was even colder than the day but he tried no to let it get to him. He couldn't be shivering if he was dealing with people with a lot of money. They might see him as weak.
To men came round a corner from an alleyway hardly visible if you didn't know it was there. The first had short white hair, and a well-kept beard of the same colour. The second man wore a hat and high-necked coat so that jack could not see his face in the shadows. The first man looked at Jack expectantly.
"Do you have something for me," he said, with a very noticeable English accent.
Jack was too suspicious to just hand it over. "Who is he?" he asked, gesturing towards the guy behind him. But the English man ignored him.
"Where is the item," he asked directly.
Jack was still wary, but he pressed on. "It's a thousand," he told him, as though afraid they were planning on bringing him no money.
The English man held up the thousand in cash. At the sight of the money, Jack became suddenly more co-operative, eager to get it and get out of there before they changed their minds. He brought out the globe, which he had wrapped in cloth so that it didn't turn on again.
The second man spoke up, his accent was American, but very proper sounding and well educated. *Who are these people* he thought.
"We understand there is some display," he said, hinting that Jack shows them.
He pulled the covers off of it and touched it with his hand.
"This is the second of the 5 times i will appear. You may wonder that i speak your language and not my native Kryptonian," the hologram said again.
When it ended, Jack looked at them arrogantly.
"Pay him," the second guy said without hesitation, the display being more than enough to convince him.
Jack wrapped the globe back up and reached out for the money, doing and exchange. He leafed through the bills hungrily. He had never held so much money in his hands.
"You found this you say?" said the second man.
That was the story Jack had made up. He didn't want them calling the police and telling them he robbed Clark Kent's apartment.
"The dumpster on third. People throw away some strange stuff sometimes. I guessed it had something to do with superman," Jack lied.
"Well if you find any more strange stuff, you'll let us know," the second man told him, not asked.
"I'll do that. How do I get in touch with you?" Jack asked, although he knew he would never find anything like it again. But he didn't want them thinking he was now useless. Who knows what they would do. I mean they could be killers.
The English guy replied. "Just leave word. We'll find you."
Jack turns and starts to leave.
"Something to so with superman," he hears the second guy say eagerly.
- -
-
Jack sat in a chair in a small gaming room. Some guy called Louis was playing pool, but watching him everywhere he went. Jack returned his gaze defiantly. However, when people enter, they are both forced to break it.
"Lois, honey," Louis, shouted, greeting her with a hug, "And Mr Kent, nice to see you again.
The Kent guy shook Louis' hand and looked over at Jack. Jack looked back at him with disdain.
"Are you sure that's him?" he asked sceptically.
"Is that your stuff?" Louis asked.
Kent walked over to the stolen goods on the table. He moved a few, seemingly searching for something, and Jack knew what that something was. He stayed quiet though, hoping he wouldn't be asked about that.
"Most of it," Kent said unenthusiastically.
"He tried to move it through a guy who knows a guy I know," Louis told them, referring to the black market dealer who had set Jack up. He was so going to get back at him somehow.
"He had this on him, this yours," he added, holding up the money from the globe's sale.
"No," Kent shook his head and went back to looking at the pile of his belongings.
The very attractive women, who Louis had referred to as Lois, put out her hand to take the money. Suddenly feeling completely violated, Jack shouted out.
"Hey, that's my money lady," he said angrily.
She walked over to him with the money in her hand.
"Did you rob this man's apartment," she said, gesturing to the Kent guy who looked on.
"I found that junk in a dumpster," he told her, using the same lie as before. "I should have left it there," he added for affect.
"How old are you?" said Kent. *Oh, shit, don't tell me he's gonna do the sympathy thing. God help me* Jack thought and retorted sarcastically, "How old are you?"
He pulled at the cuffs he had been working on since he got tied up here. His hand was beginning to slip through the small gap.
"Look, I don't know anything, so let me go," he said, lifting his hand free of the cuffs that he had finally slipped through.
"Louis," shouted Lois, assuming that it was due to poor not tying that he had gotten loose. People always underestimated him. It was a blessing most of the time.
"Be careful, you got yourself a real rabbit there," Louis replied, making it clear that he was not at fault. He chucked her the keys to the cuffs and she bent down to unlock them. Jack leaned his hands towards her to make it easier. Jack rubbed at his wrists. They were red and sore from were he had struggled so much
"Lois, we're not the law, he's just a kid," Said Kent, doing that sympathetic thing again. Jack always thought people like that were so completely naive.
"Yeah, I could sue you for kidnapping," Jack replied, regaining his attitude now that he was free.
Louis made a fake scared motion and walked away. Lois looked at him indignantly.
"You still haven't answered my question," she said, "Did you rob this man's apartment?"
A half laugh escaped Jack's mouth. Did she honestly think he was going to just tell her? If she did she was insane.
He decided she was definitely insane when she held out the cash in front of him and asked "Where did you get this money."
He got ready to grab it.
"Look we don't have to involve the police. I just want to ask you about some personal items that are still missing. ONE in particular," Kent said, as though knowing Jack would respond.
He looked up at him at the word one and then looked back down. He wasn't going to get distracted.
"You could save yourself a lot of trouble if you just..." Lois began.
But Jack grabbed the money and ran out the door too fast for her to stop him. "Hey!" she shouted after him.
He ran down the road, round a corner and stopped at the wall too take a breath. Looking back and seeing no one coming, Jack walked on more casually. As he came to another corner, he found himself face to face with the Kent guy. *How did he get here so quick* he thought, before being grabbed by both shoulders.
Jack squirmed in the Kent guys grip but it was to no avail. This guy was way stronger than he looked and acted.
"I'm not going to hurt you, I'm not going to hurt you," the guy protested, and Jack stopped moving and gave him a cold stare.
"Now be straight with me and I'll let you go, i promise," Kent told him. Jack decided to co-operate. He just wanted to get home.
"Do you have the globe," he asked directly.
Jack shook his head honestly, as he tried to catch his breath. "I sold it, i had to.
"Sold it to who," he said, concern rising in his voice.
"I don't know, some guys. I took some pictures of it, passed it around, you know," he told him. Jack sighed. "Look, they were older guys, kind of strange."
"Well, what did they look like?"
"I don't remember," Jack said, getting a little frustrated with all the questions.
"Do you have any idea where the globe is right now?" Kent said, his hands still gripping Jack's shoulders.
"No," Jack replied, meeting his gaze as well as he could. "And that's the truth man."
Kent backed off a bit. His whole body relaxed as though he had forgotten to breath while asking his questions. *Was it really that important?*
"What's your name," he asked.
*So he had to be friendly now?*
"Jack," Jack replied.
"Just Jack," Kent questioned.
"Yeah, just Jack," he said defiantly. Then he went back to his curiosity. "This globe yours?"
Kent seemed unsure what to say. He hesitated and then told him, "I've been keeping it."
Jack decided to push further. "How's it work. And who's the guy with the superman 'S'?"
He wished he hadn't asked when Kent grabbed him roughly, causing him to cry out in pain. "Wait, how did you...?"
Kent saw that he had hurt him and backed off again. "Sorry. How do you know about him?"
"When i touched it a man appeared. He talked to me," Jack told him honestly.
"What did he say?" Kent asked. He looked desperate, and Jack couldn't figure out why.
"Uh, something like this is the second time i will appear. Something like that," he said a little shakily. He really just wanted to get away from this guy now. He was odd.
"Is that all?" He asked finally.
"Yeah, it stopped when I dropped it," he said, sighing. He looked from Kent's hand on his shoulder to his face. "You gonna cut me loose?"
"Where are you gonna go?"
Jack smirked. *What was up with these people? Did they have no sense?*
"No way am I gonna tell you," He replied, and then added, "and don't try to follow me."
"I won't follow you," Kent assured him. "But here, it's my card," he said handing him a small square piece of paper with his number, name and office number on. "Give me a call if you wanna talk okay?"
Jack rubs his arm gently were Clark grabbed it. It really did hurt. He took the card and started to walk away, relieved that he could just go.
"Jack," Kent called after him. He turned around reluctantly. Kent took off his jacket and handed it to him. "Here, take it," he said.
Jack looked at him, giving him an 'as if' look. He did not like charity.
"It's freezing, take it," Clark persisted.
Jack took it. It seemed the only way he could get rid of this guy. Plus it was cold, and it was a designer jacket, so he could make a bit of money on it. He walked backwards, looking after Clark with a small thank you on his face. The he began to run.
- - -
Jack went back to his normal routine without much change. He and his brother were very close. They were the only family that each of them had, and Jack would do anything for his brother. He and Denny were sitting on their beds staring up at the ceiling.
"Do you think we'll ever be able to afford the kind of apartment with a see through roof. That'd be so cool," said Denny, dreamily.
"Maybe one day," his brother replied, but he knew there wasn't much chance.
"We could just stare up at the stars for hours," Denny added.
Jack tried to imagine it. Now that would be contentment. If only he could realise his brother's dream.
They both turned towards the door as they head someone open it. Jack sat up.
"Get behind the wall," he whispered to his brother.
Jack grabbed a baseball bat and hid behind the closer wall. He got ready as the intruder entered.
"Jack," said a familiar voice. It was Clark. That's what his name had been on the card anyway.
Jack stepped out from behind the wall, still holding up the bat. Clark put up his hands defensively and Jack relaxed the bat onto his shoulder.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, "How'd you find me?" "Louis," Clark confessed. "He knows guys who know guys. Look I need an answer to a question."
*Could he be any vaguer* Jack thought.
Clark seemed to be distracted by something behind Jack. *Must be Denny* he thought.
"Who's there?" Clark said, as Denny started to come out from behind the second wall.
"It's alright," Jack spoke up to his brother, "I need you to take a walk."
"Come on Jack, I..." he began to protest.
"Do it," Jack cut him short. Then he added, "not too far," protectively.
Denny reluctantly left through the back exit leaving Clark and Jack alone.
"Jack, you can't live here, like this," Clark said, looking around at the small room that Jack called home.
*Easy for you to say* he thought.
"We've got a plan. As soon as I get enough money together," Jack told him.
"By stealing?" Clark asked suggestively.
Jack gave him a look that said back off and he did. Jack half laughed under his breath.
"Ask your question, then get out," he told him.
"Who was that other kid?" Clark said. You could definitely tell he was a reporter. He just wouldn't back down.
"What's it to you?" Jack said defensively. Then he lowered his guard a bit. "He's my brother."
"Well what about your parents? " Jack looked sideways and shook his head.
"I mean, isn't there some place you can go or someone who can..." Clark tried, but Jack cut him off.
"We tried that, lots of times. We're better off this way," Jack answered.
Clark hesitated, and then got back to why he was here.
"The men who bought the globe. What did they look like? The truth."
"I only saw one of them," Jack revealed, "Tall, skinny, English dude. I never saw him before or since.
Clark seemed satisfied with this. Then Denny re-entered and joined Jack.
"Jack, I can help you, both of you. If you let me," Clark said.
"You wanna help us?" Jack asked. "Leave us alone."
Clark nodded, giving in. Then he left. Jack relaxed and looked to his brother.
- - -
That same night, Jack lay awake in bed, listening to his brother's snore. He smiled slightly, happy that at least one of them could sleep. His ears pricked up to a noise outside. It was a truck pulling up. He could hear voices as men came out of the truck. He sat up quickly.
The men entered and surrounded the beds. Denny began to stir and sat up, almost screaming when he saw people around him.
"Jack, what's going on," said his terrified brother.
"Did Clark Kent send you?" Jack asked suspiciously.
"Our boss wants to ask you a few questions about an item you sold to him. So you're going to come with us now," The front man said gruffly.
Jack gulped and stood up.
"Make me," he said firmly.
A guy on the right of the front man tried to grab for him, but Jack ducked out of the way and ran to his brother, pushing him towards the door.
"Go get help," he told him, and Denny ran off out the back.
The men made no move to follow him. The guy that had tried to grab him made for another try but jack kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back into another of the men. Before he could deflect it, the front man, took a punch to Jack's face and he felt the taste of blood on his lips. Then the man reached inside his pocket and pulled out a stunner. He rammed the electric device under Jack's throat causing a current to shock through his body. He fell to the bed unconscious.
- - -
He woke up in complete darkness, and for a minute he wondered if he had died. But then he heard voices that proved him wrong.
"How is the patient?" Someone said, and Jack thought he recognised the voice as the hidden man he had sold the globe to.
"Oh, he should come around soon. Sorry for the delay, the boy put up quite a struggle. The boys thought it best to, um, zap him," said the English guy.
"Oh the boys. Boys boys boys," the first man said in a singsong voice. "So what did we learn from the fingerprint check, tell me about our Jack.
"Well, you see, abandoned by his parents, raised in a succession of foster homes and state institutions. Escaped from the last with his brother 3 months ago, living on the streets, supporting himself by acts of petty crime," The English guy told the first. Hearing his life repeated in such an uncaring way made Jack bite his tongue.
"Oh, another young life failed by the system," the first man said sadly.
Jack smelt cigar smoke as the English man said, "yes, I'm afraid so."
"Good," said the first, in a complete change of character. "Then no one will miss him."
Jack couldn't hold back anymore. "I doubt anyone would miss a scumbag like you either," he said with venom.
"Ah, he talks," the first said, quite unaffected by the remark.
Jack struggled in the chair. The bonds were really tight and it hurt to move his hands but he didn't stop trying. "Let me out of here," he growled.
"I will," he said simply. Then his voice became darker and Jack felt his breath on his face. "When you tell me where you got the globe."
"I told you, I found it in a dumpster," Jack persisted with his story.
"No, no, I'm afraid that won't do. There is not a single sole in the world that would throw away that item. Let's try again shall we," he replied.
Jack stayed silent.
"Of course if you don't tell us, we will be forced to take other measures. Maybe involve your brother Denny," Lex added.
At the mention of his brother, Jack was filled with fear. He didn't want Denny to suffer because of one stupid mistake he had made. But he didn't want to involve Clark either. Finally it came down to who was more important.
"Alright," Jack said. "I'll tell you."
"Yes, yes," The first said eagerly.
Jack felt disgusted with himself, but he knew he didn't have a choice if he wanted to save his brother. "I stole it from Clark Kent's apartment."
The men fell silent. Then the English guy spoke up. "Well, now, that is interesting."
"Very," said the first. "I will have to be having words with Mr Kent about that."
Jack fell inward, ashamed of what he'd done.
"But that will have to wait, it's show time."
Jack heard another voice that sounded like the one from the hologram.
"We have installed the hyper light drive and tested it as best we can. So much is unknown. Contained within the sphere is the navigational system that will guide the ship through the maze of hyper space, as well as this account of our final days."
The room fell quiet again, until a beeping alarm sounded.
"Incoming," said the English man from across the room.
"Activate defences," said the first guy.
"Level one breached."
"It can't be," the man breathed.
"Level two," the Englishman stated.
"It's him."
"Three."
"Emergency evacuation on my count. Activate self destruct mode now!" the first man ordered.
He heard someone moving around and then the first man said "No, leave it, leave everything."
"The boy?" the Englishman questioned.
"Him too. There's only one thing i want."
Jack began to panic. If that was a bomb they had set up then he was done for. No one knew he was down here, no on was coming for him. In a few minutes he'd be no more than a pile of ash.
He heard the first man cry out in frustration at something.
"Level 4. Sir, sir we must..." the English man protested.
"NO!"
"We haven't time sir, we must evacuate immediately."
"No it's mine," the first man shouted irrationally. Then Jack heard a door close. Just as it did, something made an enormous crashing noise. In seconds, Jack was untied and un-blind folded. It was Superman. When he was certain Jack was okay, he stepped over to the bomb and regarded it intently. Then he used his freeze breath to stop it from blowing up.
He walked casually around the room and then put his hand out, for the globe was floating in the air. It drifted down to him and as it touched his hand a final vision occurred.
"I try to picture you where you are now as hear this last chapter. What you look like. Are you alone? What have you become? Lara and i will never know, but that you live to experience this is enough. We are content. We give you to earth, to a realm called America, and a place called Kansas, remember us and do not regret our passing. All is fate."
The message ended and Jack looked from Superman to the globe.
"Whoa," he uttered.
"Can you keep a secret?" Superman asked. Jack nodded, and Superman carried him to safety.
- -
-
A young reporter was showing Jack round the newsroom in his twenties. He was a bit shallow and Jack didn't like him much, but he pretended to listen to what the guy had to say. He was thankful to Clark for getting him a job and finding him and his brother places to stay, but how could he leave him with this motor mouth? He left him in mid sentence when he couldn't take anymore and walked down a set of stairs to the bottom part of the room. He heard someone call out.
"Hey, you, how about bringing us around some coffee here will you?" said Perry White, the editor of the newspaper.
"I don't do coffee," Jack said, his old attitude back where it should be. "It's not in the job description. Read the manual gramps."
Seeing the red faced looked on the old man's face, he smiled and stalked off. From behind him he heard "Who was that kid?"
"Hey! Come here," Perry shouted after him, and Jack ran to the nearest exit. As he hid, he thought back on what he had told the man in that room. The information he had given would someday get back at him. He just knew it.
The End