Author's note: This is an attempt at banter. I hope i pulled it off. I must say that I could not have done this without the help of my good buddies Will and Shawn. They fed me ideas. I do intend to finish, just give me time. Please, please review. Tell me what i did wrong, tell me what i did right, anything. I want all the feedback I can get. Thanks.
Teaser intro.
A busload of children talk and sing as the bus drives towards a bridge high over a deep and swift river. As the buss nears the middle of the bridge, it begins to drift out of its lane. An oncoming black Civic begins to drift into its path. At the last moment, both vehicles swerve out the way. The bus driver swerves too hard, causing the bus to break through the barrier and plunge towards the river. The children scream and cover their eyes. Just before impact the bus stops, suspended in mid-air. Slowly it is raised back to the bridge and a brightly dressed man can be seen lifting it. Once all four wheels are safely on the asphalt he flies away.
Intro credits.
Special Agent Dana Scully stood in Assistant Director Walter Skinner's office, poring over some material. She flipped through a past X-File and jotted a note on her pad of paper. She started ever-so-slightly as her cell phone vibrated against her hip. She tried to ignore it, focusing on the work at hand. But the phone did not stop vibrating. Even after the allotted time for the answering service, it began again. Finally she pulled it from her pocket and glanced at the screen.
"I'm sorry Skinner. It's Mulder." She stepped from the office and answered her phone.
"What is it, Mulder?"
"Apparently it's national ignore Mulder day." He began. "Can you come pick me up?"
"Um, I am kind of busy at the moment. Where are you?"
"Corner of Blake and 32nd. Tell Skinner I'm sorry to drag you away."
"Mulder, I never told you I was meeting with Skinner. I could be on a date."
"Uh. Yeah, well, let's discuss that when you come pick me up." With that he hung up.
The shop at the corner of Blake and 32nd was called DC WORLD. It was a comic book shop. Scully sighed and parked the car on the street. She found her partner kneeling in an aisle, surrounded by comic books. He looked up.
"Superman." He said, grinning slightly.
"So I see. And why does the man of steel bring us here?"
"I'll tell you in the car." He said, gaining his feet and collecting the Superman comics.
Scully headed for the door, but stopped and turned when Mulder did not follow. He walked to the counter and paid for the comics with a smile in her direction.
When he finally walked from the store she handed him the keys. In the car Scully again asked Mulder what it was all about.
"Superman." He repeated. She rolled her eyes. "What do you know about him?"
"Well, he is a myth." She paused, making sure that point was clear. "Made up by a couple of comic book writers. Said to be from another planet, stronger than any human, can fly… Did I get it all?"
"No. You missed x-ray vision," He paused briefly, glancing away form the road. "But that's not the point." Mulder shoved a tabloid into her lap. The headline read: "Flying Man Saves Busload of Schoolchildren." Scully glanced at Mulder, amused, but his gaze urged her to read further. She obliged by reading aloud.
"Mrs. Henderson's second grade class was headed to the Kansas City Zoo on a field trip yesterday morning. While crossing the Teek Bridge, the driver swerved to miss an oncoming car, causing the school bus to careen over the railing of the bridge. Before the vehicle could splash into the river, a man flew out of nowhere, say eyewitnesses. The man caught the bus by the undercarriage and lifted it back to the safety of the bridge. After this amazing rescue, the man flew away. 'He was wearing blue and red, and appeared to have a cape.' Said Mrs. Henderson. Several of the children agreed with her.—"
"Ok, that's enough. What do you think?" Mulder's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Mulder, people can't fly. It's impossible. Physics won't allow it."
"They can't lift busses full of kids either, Scully, but there were over fifty eye-witnesses who say this guy did! What sort of rationale can you assign to that?"
"Well," She began, then switched attitudes, "Mulder, what are you driving at? You think this man is the Superman, from Krypton?" She grinned incredulously at him.
Mulder shook his head. "I want you to tell me what you think."
"All right. Let's see," She began, skimming the article again, "I think that it is either an elaborate ploy or," She paused.
"Or?" asked Mulder insistently.
"Or you're onto something." She reluctantly conceded.
Approximately seven hours later the two agents found themselves in Kansas City, driving to an interview with the second grade teacher in a blue Ford Taurus.
"Metropolis. The home of Superman." Mulder nodded knowingly. Scully rolled her eyes. She began riffling through papers as they drove.
"Ewan MacClannough." She said. Mulder swiveled his head in her direction, a question written across his brow. "The driver. Of the other car. That's his name. Kansas license. Drives a '96 Civic. Black. Lives in the city. Works in a government biological facility. The BRD; Bio Research and Development." She paused. "I think we should talk to him."
"Och aye." Mulder answered in a perfect imitation Scots accent.
The portly Mrs. Henderson met with the agents at the school just before lunch.
"I know a nice diner down the block." She said after the introductions. "It's within walking distance."
Mulder turned to Scully, "I was worried we'd have to eat in the cafeteria."
Ignoring him, Scully addressed the teacher. "How are the children, Mrs. Henderson?"
"Oh, there are fine now. Just a bit shook up after the fall the other day. I have another teacher watching them during lunch."
She led them out of the elementary school and down the block to the diner. There was nothing that stood about it. It was like every other; walls plastered with gaudy pictures of celebrities and the smell of grease, dated music blaring and bright lights illuminating every inch. The three were led to a booth in the corner. Agents Mulder and Scully sat together facing Mrs. Henderson. The well made-up waitress took their orders and left them.
Mulder leaned forward, eager as always to conduct his interview. "The man who saved you, can you tell us about him?"
Mrs. Henderson shifted nervously, then she smiled. "Well, you will probably think I'm crazy. The police did."
"We are not the police." Mulder stated.
"Well, when the bus went over the edge, I thought we were all goners. I was gripping the seat so tightly that part of the fabric ripped. The children were so frightened." She paused to sip her water. "Then the bus just stopped falling. The children and I were silent because it was so unexpected. In no time we found ourselves back on the bridge. I saw the man briefly; the one who saved us." She paused glancing from one agent to the other. "He looked, well," She stopped again and seemed to be studying one of the other patrons.
"Like Superman?" Mulder prompted. She nodded noncommittally. Mulder shot Scully a wry grin. She sighed.
"Thank you for your time, Mrs. Henderson." They shook hands and parted without another word.
"I don't know what you think, but she was preoccupied, even scared toward the end there." Noted Mulder.
Scully nodded. "Could it have been your leading her on?"
Mulder looked at her innocently. "Never happened."
"Well, in that case, it would appear that you are onto something."
"We. Scully, we are onto something."
The imposing oak door had a brass knocker in the center. Mulder lifted it and sent it clanking down. The door opened almost immediately and a slight, red-haired man stood in the opening.
"Mr. MacClannough I'm Agent Fox Mulder and this is Agent Dana Scully, we're with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, mind if we come in?" The little man quickly stepped aside, allowing them to pass him.
"We understand you were witness, if not cause, of a near fatal accident on the Teek Bridge two days ago." Scully began. The man nodded eagerly.
"I was a witness, yes. But I didn't cause anything! I was just driving along. The bus swerved right over the edge when it got close to me."
Mulder asked, "What did you see after the bus went off the bridge?"
"Em, well, truth to tell, I kinda freaked out. I didn't really see much. All's I know is that the bus was back on the bridge in no time." He sighed rather nervously. "I was so scared for alla those kids. Man. I always wanted to have kids."
Mulder cut him off. "So you didn't see the man who is said to have saved the children?"
Mr. MacClannough shook his head. "I think I mighta blacked out."
"Thank you for your time, Mr. MacClannough. Let us know if you happen to remember anything else." Scully handed him a card with several phone numbers on it.
As the agents re-entered the car Mulder stopped and looked at Scully. "You know you cut off my inquiry."
"Yes, Mulder, I do. I had to before you asked more of your infamous leading questions."
"Did you find any of that odd? Do you think he was telling the truth?"
"Ach no!" Scully teased him with an equally adequate accent.
"Think we need to pay a visit to BRD."
Mulder followed Scully's directions, and it was nearly nightfall when they neared the research labs. Mulder parked the car, but did not open the door. "How do we want to do this?" He asked himself more than Scully. "Shall we go in and ask questions? Or shall we sneak in and find the truth?"
"Mulder, there's no way to predict that they will lie to us."
"Sure there is. Everyone always lies. Or don't you remember that pattern?" He pulled the door handle and stepped onto the curb. She joined him as he strode around the edge of the building.
"Why must you make everything so difficult?"
They circled the main building, finding a guard at every door. "Looks like we may have to do it your way. Or…" Mulder trailed off. Scully followed his gaze to an escape ladder leading to the roof of the three-story building.
It was a difficult task to bring the ladder down from the fire escape without making too much noise, but they did and began climbing as quietly as possible. When they reached the third story, they saw that the window by the fire escape was open, so they stopped. Mulder heard the sound of typing, and slowly peeked in. A slim woman, whose back was turned to the window, was sitting five feet away at a desk lit by a single lamp; papers strewed out in front of her. Mulder noticed that one of the papers was the tabloid with the "Superman" story, and it was covered with editing marks and highlights. Just then, she pushed her chair back and stood to stretch. She turned her face toward the window and Mulder ducked out of sight. A few seconds later she was at the window taking deep breaths of fresh air. She had obviously been working herself to death. Mulder heard her whisper, "Where did you go?" Then she walked out of the room.
Mulder turned to Scully and raised his eyebrows. "Convenient?"
"Don't do it, Mulder. There's no telling when she'll come back."
"Then you can stay here, chicken. I'll be right back."
"Mulder, you can't—" but he had already disappeared through the window.
He reappeared a few minutes later with a stack of papers in his hands. "We need to get out of here." Scully just scowled at him. They made their way quietly back down the fire escape and to the car, which, being a Ford, took a good five minutes to start, and another five minutes to put into gear.
Back at their motel room, Mulder spread the documents on the bed while Scully washed her face at the bathroom sink. "Scully, do you see this?"
"Mulder, I'm not even sure I want to lay my eyes on those documents. I still can't believe you stole them."
"That's your problem, Scully: you never see the big picture."
"Well your problem is that you never see the consequences of your actions. Unorthodox investigative procedures like this make it nearly impossible to present my reports." She peeked around the corner as she dried her face. "Are you even listening to me?" Mulder just pointed to the papers on the bed with a look that said "Are you going to look or what?" She sighed, walked over to the bed, and glanced at the documents. "See what?"
"Look at these worker's compensation forms. Have you ever seen so many for one person?"
"So?" She picked one up and started reading it. ". . . extended exposure to nuclear radiation . . . poisonous levels . . ."
"Keep reading."
". . . with temporary effects."
"Isn't that odd? Extended poisonous radiation exposure with no lasting effects. That's inhuman."
"It's impossible, Mulder. These documents are obviously fraudulent."
"Look at the date on that one. It's from just a week ago. Now look at this one." He reached for another form. "It's from two weeks ago."
Scully read aloud, ". . . exposure to airborne bacterial culture . . . tissue damage nonexistent . . ."
"Why would it be noted that there was no tissue damage unless there was supposed to have been? Just look at the rest of these, Scully. He was hit with extremely high-velocity projectiles, smashed under multi-ton blocks—either someone was trying to kill him or . . ."
"Or what?"
"Or these were experiments. They span the past year. Any one of these would kill a human instantly, but the only one to survive this many assassination attempts is Rasputin, and he wasn't human. This guy, this Clarence Kenton, is . . ."
"What?" she began in an irritated tone, "An alien? A hybrid? Which one of your cockamamie theories are you going to spout out now?"
". . . something else."