From The Daily Planet, front page, below the fold (first front-page byline for cub reporter Lois Lane!):
PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO METROPOLIS President Bush will be spending Independence Day in Metropolis, breaking years of tradition. "America's Heartland is the heart of America, not Washington, D.C.," the President said. "As the most prominent city in America's Heartland, Metropolis is the ideal place for me to be this Fourth of July."
Civic authorities have arranged for an even more-spectacular than usual fireworks display, and all streets downtown will be closed by order of the mayor's office, as a security precaution.
We at the Daily Planet believe that the President shouldn't worry about his safety in Metropolis. After all, Superman is here!
---------
The skinny kid looked kinda upset. Lotta people get that way when there's trouble, big trouble like this especially. He was still in there swinging, though, and Stonetree honored him for it.
Joe hadn't felt this alive since Marie had gone.
Still, small talk -- put the kid at ease a little. "What's your name?" Stonetree asked, pulling open the garage door. Its spring hinges wailed in protest -- didn't get much use.
Standing well back, the guy looked blank for a moment, then shook his head a little and said, "Mulder. I'm Fox Mulder." Mebbe four beers had been too many for him.
"Pleased to meetcha, Fox. Call me Joe," he replied, securing the old-fashioned door open and pulling the chain-light on.
Mulder was still shaking his head. Yeah. Four was too many beers. "What? Why Kansas?" he asked.
"Heh. You said the Navajo you knew were gone when you went back. The ones who knew about the trouble." Stonetree popped the trunk on the old turquoise Caddy and put in his bag.
"Yeah. Wait. Is that Knight's car?"
"Yup. You have a bag, Fox?"
"I. Wait. Why are..."
"Gimme your keys." The old habit of command was strong -- the intoxicated ex-FBI man handed over his keys without an argument. Stonetree identified the other's car without trouble, opened its trunk, and swept up its contents. There was plenty of room leftover in the Cadillac's trunk, even after he stowed all Mulder's gear.
Mulder was watching him, dubious and unsteady. "Why do you have Knight's car?"
"He left it behind." Stonetree opened the door. "Get in."
Mulder took a deep breath and just looked at Stonetree for a second. Stonetree tried to look like a guy who knew what he was doing. Mulder got in and fastened the lap-belt. "Kansas, huh?"
Stonetree had only driven the Cadillac once, when he'd taken Nick's worldly possessions into storage.
Marie had laughed at him when he raved about the smoothness of the ride.
She used to laugh a lot.
"Why do you have Detective Knight's car?"
"He left everything behind when he disappeared. It was the night his new partner died. And Natalie," the big man reminisced as he eased it out of the garage.
"What happened to them?"
"Captain Reese tried to blame Detective Vetter's death on Nick. A perp-in-custody got hold of somebody's gun."
"Nick's?" The Ex-FBI-man sounded skeptical.
Stonetree snorted. "Nah. No one's that fast. One of Reese's boys. But Nick was there when Trace bought it, and Reese was spreading the blame around. The Commissioner had his head on a plate, regardless, but Nick was gone by then. Disappeared."
"What about Dr. Lambert?"
Stonetree stopped at an otherwise unoccupied red light, and eyed the Yank appraisingly. Then he returned his attention to the road.
"She was found on the floor of Nick's apartment. Drained of blood. She had two little holes in her neck."
"Damn," Mulder whispered.
Stonetree heaved a sigh. "Yeah."
They drove on a while in silence.
Then Stonetree said, "Let me tell you the legend of Naman and Segeeth."
-----------
Early Wednesday morning, Buffy was awakened by an excited toddler bouncing on her (well, actually Clark's, but he was sleeping in the barn loft while Buffy was staying with the Kents) bed. It was already hot, though nothing like how hot it would get later, and she'd tumbled Clark's blue sheet and red blanket off onto the floor during the night.
"Wake up!" Cara said importantly. "We're burnin' daylight!"
"Burnin' daylight, huh?" Buffy asked the little girl. "What does that even mean?"
Cara told her something long and involved about cows and getting up. Meanwhile, Buffy gathered an armful of blessedly clean clothes and her brand-new hairbrush, and headed for the bathroom. "It means everyone's up but you!" Cara finally finished.
"I better hurry and get dressed then," Buffy said brightly. Cara nodded enthusiastically. "'Scuse me!" Buffy chirped, closing the bathroom door before the girl could follow her in.
She heard Cara racing down the stairs, bellowing, "Mama! Buffy's up!"
"Oh, Cara!" began Mrs. Kent's reply, but Buffy lost the rest in laughing. Little sisters were all the same, apparently.
When Buffy got down to the kitchen, Clark and his dad were just finishing their breakfast. Mr. Kent was scowling at the newspaper, and Clark looked worried.
"It sounds like they just expect you to drop everything, and provide all the security for this dang political dog-and-pony show of theirs!" Jonathan exclaimed, throwing the paper down disgustedly and barely managing to not upset the milk. "With never a by-your-leave!" he fumed.
"I know, but what else can I do? It's the president of the United States!"
Mrs. Kent put a plate of eggs, fruit and toast on the table next to Cara, and beckoned for Buffy to sit. "So called," she commented.
"Now, Martha," Jonathan began, but Clark interrupted.
"No matter what you think of the man, you gotta respect the office," Clark said. "And if he's in my city, I have to protect him."
Martha looked at Clark in surprise to hear him call Metropolis 'his city,' but Jonathan didn't seem to pick up on that part. "You have work to do here at home!" he insisted.
"Dad," Clark said, "I'll do what I have to do." He got up from the table and left the house.
"Me'n Buffy can do Clark's chores," Cara volunteered, face covered with jam. "We're very strong girls."
"Absolutely!" Buffy found herself agreeing. "I feel weird not helping out."
"That's settled then!" Cara declared with an enthusiastic nod.
Jonathan and Martha couldn't seem to help laughing at that.
PRESIDENT PLANS VISIT TO METROPOLIS President Bush will be spending Independence Day in Metropolis, breaking years of tradition. "America's Heartland is the heart of America, not Washington, D.C.," the President said. "As the most prominent city in America's Heartland, Metropolis is the ideal place for me to be this Fourth of July."
Civic authorities have arranged for an even more-spectacular than usual fireworks display, and all streets downtown will be closed by order of the mayor's office, as a security precaution.
We at the Daily Planet believe that the President shouldn't worry about his safety in Metropolis. After all, Superman is here!
---------
The skinny kid looked kinda upset. Lotta people get that way when there's trouble, big trouble like this especially. He was still in there swinging, though, and Stonetree honored him for it.
Joe hadn't felt this alive since Marie had gone.
Still, small talk -- put the kid at ease a little. "What's your name?" Stonetree asked, pulling open the garage door. Its spring hinges wailed in protest -- didn't get much use.
Standing well back, the guy looked blank for a moment, then shook his head a little and said, "Mulder. I'm Fox Mulder." Mebbe four beers had been too many for him.
"Pleased to meetcha, Fox. Call me Joe," he replied, securing the old-fashioned door open and pulling the chain-light on.
Mulder was still shaking his head. Yeah. Four was too many beers. "What? Why Kansas?" he asked.
"Heh. You said the Navajo you knew were gone when you went back. The ones who knew about the trouble." Stonetree popped the trunk on the old turquoise Caddy and put in his bag.
"Yeah. Wait. Is that Knight's car?"
"Yup. You have a bag, Fox?"
"I. Wait. Why are..."
"Gimme your keys." The old habit of command was strong -- the intoxicated ex-FBI man handed over his keys without an argument. Stonetree identified the other's car without trouble, opened its trunk, and swept up its contents. There was plenty of room leftover in the Cadillac's trunk, even after he stowed all Mulder's gear.
Mulder was watching him, dubious and unsteady. "Why do you have Knight's car?"
"He left it behind." Stonetree opened the door. "Get in."
Mulder took a deep breath and just looked at Stonetree for a second. Stonetree tried to look like a guy who knew what he was doing. Mulder got in and fastened the lap-belt. "Kansas, huh?"
Stonetree had only driven the Cadillac once, when he'd taken Nick's worldly possessions into storage.
Marie had laughed at him when he raved about the smoothness of the ride.
She used to laugh a lot.
"Why do you have Detective Knight's car?"
"He left everything behind when he disappeared. It was the night his new partner died. And Natalie," the big man reminisced as he eased it out of the garage.
"What happened to them?"
"Captain Reese tried to blame Detective Vetter's death on Nick. A perp-in-custody got hold of somebody's gun."
"Nick's?" The Ex-FBI-man sounded skeptical.
Stonetree snorted. "Nah. No one's that fast. One of Reese's boys. But Nick was there when Trace bought it, and Reese was spreading the blame around. The Commissioner had his head on a plate, regardless, but Nick was gone by then. Disappeared."
"What about Dr. Lambert?"
Stonetree stopped at an otherwise unoccupied red light, and eyed the Yank appraisingly. Then he returned his attention to the road.
"She was found on the floor of Nick's apartment. Drained of blood. She had two little holes in her neck."
"Damn," Mulder whispered.
Stonetree heaved a sigh. "Yeah."
They drove on a while in silence.
Then Stonetree said, "Let me tell you the legend of Naman and Segeeth."
-----------
Early Wednesday morning, Buffy was awakened by an excited toddler bouncing on her (well, actually Clark's, but he was sleeping in the barn loft while Buffy was staying with the Kents) bed. It was already hot, though nothing like how hot it would get later, and she'd tumbled Clark's blue sheet and red blanket off onto the floor during the night.
"Wake up!" Cara said importantly. "We're burnin' daylight!"
"Burnin' daylight, huh?" Buffy asked the little girl. "What does that even mean?"
Cara told her something long and involved about cows and getting up. Meanwhile, Buffy gathered an armful of blessedly clean clothes and her brand-new hairbrush, and headed for the bathroom. "It means everyone's up but you!" Cara finally finished.
"I better hurry and get dressed then," Buffy said brightly. Cara nodded enthusiastically. "'Scuse me!" Buffy chirped, closing the bathroom door before the girl could follow her in.
She heard Cara racing down the stairs, bellowing, "Mama! Buffy's up!"
"Oh, Cara!" began Mrs. Kent's reply, but Buffy lost the rest in laughing. Little sisters were all the same, apparently.
When Buffy got down to the kitchen, Clark and his dad were just finishing their breakfast. Mr. Kent was scowling at the newspaper, and Clark looked worried.
"It sounds like they just expect you to drop everything, and provide all the security for this dang political dog-and-pony show of theirs!" Jonathan exclaimed, throwing the paper down disgustedly and barely managing to not upset the milk. "With never a by-your-leave!" he fumed.
"I know, but what else can I do? It's the president of the United States!"
Mrs. Kent put a plate of eggs, fruit and toast on the table next to Cara, and beckoned for Buffy to sit. "So called," she commented.
"Now, Martha," Jonathan began, but Clark interrupted.
"No matter what you think of the man, you gotta respect the office," Clark said. "And if he's in my city, I have to protect him."
Martha looked at Clark in surprise to hear him call Metropolis 'his city,' but Jonathan didn't seem to pick up on that part. "You have work to do here at home!" he insisted.
"Dad," Clark said, "I'll do what I have to do." He got up from the table and left the house.
"Me'n Buffy can do Clark's chores," Cara volunteered, face covered with jam. "We're very strong girls."
"Absolutely!" Buffy found herself agreeing. "I feel weird not helping out."
"That's settled then!" Cara declared with an enthusiastic nod.
Jonathan and Martha couldn't seem to help laughing at that.