Disclaimer: I don't own Superman.
Okay, answering Tairona's questions:
Alright, maybe he could have ran at top speed to catch Jason, but this is his only son, and I think that if your only son was teetering dangerously on a ledge when you weren't expecting it, you would be too shocked to move, too.
Also, I meant for him to be calling people clumsy in a term of affection. He still likes people, but come on; compared to Superman we're clumsy. Just wanted to clear up some questions, but thanks for asking them.
Clark raced into the kitchen at top speed and made a giant leap, just in time to catch Jason. Panting and lying on his stomach with his arms outstretched, holding Jason, he rolled over, pulling the boy onto his chest. A glass lay shattered where Jason was about to fall. Sighing with relief, Clark let his head drop to the kitchen floor. Lois slid into view from the hall.
"Oh my God, what happened?" she exclaimed, seeing broken glass and Jason and Clark on the floor. Clark stared at her for a few seconds, filled with memories. Lois wore only a towel, also. He recovered quickly, though.
"Oh, um, Jason just fell, I guess. It's alright, I caught him in time, but I'm afraid I was too late for the cup," he joked, trying to lighten the mood. He was secretly terrified, though, and could hardly breathe. That boy was never getting out of his sight ever again! Clark stood and handed Jason to his mother.
"I'm so sorry, Clark, Jason shouldn't have been messing around in the kitchen, anyway," Lois said, feeling a little bad. She and Jason had only been here for a day and already something was broken! Clark smiled good-naturedly.
"No, it's okay, I'll clean it up, it's no trouble," he said, but then he noticed Lois staring at him with an odd expression on her face…his glasses! He left them in the bathroom!
Clark whipped around and ran a hand through his hair, making sure it was very, very messy and in his face. Lois walked over.
"Clark? You look so different without your glasses, I almost thought…" she said softly, touching his shoulder. He clenched his teeth and closed his eyes.
"Ah, Lois, shouldn't you go and…finish your shower?" he tried. Maybe he could play it off like he was turning around because he was modest; not that he wasn't. Seeming to snap out of a trance, she nodded and picked up Jason to take him to his room. Clark let out a deep breath once he heard Jason's door shut. That was too close!
"Jason, honey, don't ever scare me like that again! You should know better than to climb on the countertops!" she scolded mildly, too relieved to be truly angry. At least Jason knew that he was wrong. Jason, though, looked like he was thinking seriously about something.
"Mommy, does Superman have a secret identity, like Batman?" he asked, and Lois looked at him confusedly.
"Why…why, of course not, dear," she said, "I think you've been watching too many cartoons."
"Did he tell you he didn't?" asked Jason persistently. Lois opened her mouth, and then closed it. Did he? Maybe he did. Jason yawned, ready to fall asleep.
"I think Mr. Clark looks like Superman," he said sleepily, his eyes closing and his speech slurring. Lois just watched as her son dozed off. She sat there for another moment, thinking.
"Huh…Metropolis…it's not as big as New York City…but I think it's a little more interesting," said ace reporter Rachel Jennings. She flipped her long blonde hair over her shoulder and looked around. Her assistant, Kenny Peterson, laughed and pulled out a notepad.
"Of course it's more interesting, these are prime hero-spotting grounds," he said, checking the address of the Daily Planet.
"Okay, we go down this street and turn left, and we'll be right at the front doors," he said, and Rachel growled at him.
"God, Kenny, don't talk to me like I'm stupid. You can see the big rotating globe from anywhere in the city!" she snapped, heading down the street. Kenny hurried behind her.
"There's a story here; I can feel it! What I don't understand was why Harrison transferred me here anyway. I'm the best reported he's ever going to get!" she muttered, not checking to look before she crossed the street. She heard a yell and looked back to see Kenny pointing down the road…to an eighteen-wheeler truck heading straight for her.
It was practically in slow motion…she could see her life flash before her eyes, her years of scrambling to the top and her years of success. It was all to be lost- to a massive truck that, with one strike, would end it all forever. It rushed back into fast-forward as she opened her mouth and screamed, closing her eyes.
The pain never came. It actually felt as if…as if she was floating! Cautiously, as though if she did it too quickly it would end, she opened her eyes. She looked up and saw dark hair and stunningly blue eyes, complete with a royal blue outfit and a large red S emblem. She couldn't even say anything; just stare.
"Miss, you really need to be careful when you cross the street; you were about to get squished," said the majestic figure. It took a second for Rachel to realize that she was flying…actually flying! Like an idiot, she couldn't say a word.
He was nothing like what she saw on TV. Superman had always hit her as someone unreal; someone she couldn't believe existed with these powers no matter how many times she had seen him on television or in the papers. All she could do was stare.
She realized that he was gently setting her on her feet, and she clutched his arm, not sure if she could stand. He let out a deep chuckle, as if he was used to inspiring such awe, and patted her hand.
"You're going to be fine, just be more careful from now on. Now, if you would kindly let go, I really need to get out of here, we're standing in front of a building full of reporters," he said mildly, and she quickly let go. He gave her a confident, dazzling smile and flew away, leaving her standing there, staring up in wonder.
"Rachel! Rachel, are you okay? That was amazing! I mean, that was absolutely stunning! We actually saw Superman in person!"
Rachel snapped out of her daze and looked over at Kenny, who was taking pictures as fast as possible as reporters crowded out of the building.
"Let's go, Kenny," she said, turning and entering the building with him at her heels. She needed to know more about this 'hero.'
"I'm sorry Miss Jennings, but I can't help you there. We've covered enough interviews already, it's not a big deal if you can catch a talk with him," said Perry White, the boss around the Daily Planet.
"If you want to know more about him, you'll have to find Lois Lane. She knows everything there is about Superman," he said, pointing down the hall of cubicles, "She's the one with the kid."
Rachel Jennings was quickly becoming obsessed with Superman after her incident with the truck. On the way over to meet Lois Lane, she bumped into a very tall man.
"Sorry," she said, not really paying attention to him. Then she stopped and did a double take. Was it just her, or did that man look a little like…
"Hi. Who are you?" asked a little voice. Rachel looked down and saw a tiny boy with a mop of brown hair staring up at her. She sneered at him.
"None of your business, kid. Hey, what are you doing in here, anyway? This isn't a day care," she snapped, looking around. Suddenly, though, she remembered what Perry said…something about Lois being the one with the kid! Rachel grimaced and squatted down to eye level with the boy; God, she hated kids.
"Little boy, can you tell me where your mommy is?" she asked as politely as possible. He frowned.
"Why?" he asked. Rachel gritted her teeth.
"Because we need to have a little grownup talk," she said.
"Why?"
"Because I need to ask her something."
"About what?"
"About Superman, okay kid?" she had lost her nice voice and was about ready to strangle the kid.
"Hey, I've met him before!" he chirped happily. Rachel stared at him. Well, he was Lois Lane's kid. It was possible.
"Can you tell me where your mommy is?" she asked again. This was going to kill her. Here was one of the reasons she didn't have kids.
"No," he said, taking a breath with his inhaler.
"Why not," she growled.
"Because I don't know where she is," said the kid. Rachel dropped her head in her hands and let out a muffled scream, standing up. Suddenly, though, that tall, tall man that reminded her of someone in blue came over and picked the kid up.
"Jason, Lois is looking all over for you, what are you doing over here?" he asked. Then, he noticed Rachel.
"Hi, you must be Rachel Jennings, the new reporter. I'm Clark Kent," he said, holding out his hand. She shook it, still a little frustrated.
"Can you tell me where to find Lois Lane?" she asked, and he nodded.
"Follow me, I have to drop Jason off anyway," he said, heading off in some random direction. She followed. He couldn't possibly be Superman. He was tall and awkward-looking, kind of like a puppy with oversized paws. He had a goofy smile and wore thick glasses; how could he be her hero? She didn't think it was possible; and yet, the resemblance was uncanny.
"Lois? There's a woman here to wants to talk to you," said Clark. Lois turned around and smiled; she was a pretty woman, with wavy brown hair and a beautiful smile. Rachel felt that something was up here, and she was going to find out. She wasn't called an ace reporter for nothing.
Clark was in his car, driving down to Jason's elementary school. Perry had given him the rest of the day off due to his amazing report on the downtown robbery that Superman had thwarted, and he even described the intricate plan that they had used. Lois asked him if he could pick up Jason, since they still hadn't figured out a carpool to get him. Richard always used to pick him up.
On the way, though, he heard a distinct cry for help and pulled the car over. Tearing off his clothes to reveal his super-suit, he flew quickly to the danger.
"It's true! I did meet Superman!" yelled Jason to the school bullies, Bobby and John, who just laughed scathingly.
"What hero in his right mind would ever want to talk to a loser like you?" asked Bobby mockingly. His fist flew and he punched Jason in the stomach. Jason fell onto his back and cried out with his eyes shut.
"Superman!"
Bobby just laughed and leapt to pounce on Jason, but he never landed. To his shock and surprise, he was floating about three feet about a cringing Jason. He was tossed rather roughly to the side. When he looked up he saw Superman helping Jason to his feet.
"Hey, Jason, Lois asked me to pick you up today," said the hero in blue, brushing the dust off of his son. Jason wiped away a few tears with the back of his hand as Superman picked him up, careful not to do it baby-style. He didn't want to embarrass him. He just grabbed him under the arm and lifted, kind of like picking up a puppy. He flew up, shooting a warning glance at the two bullies who were staring, amazed, as Jason turned back and stuck his tongue out at them.
Clark was furious. Nobody, nobody bullied his son! If that boy was a little older, he'd give him a piece of his mind! Well, no he wouldn't, but it couldn't hurt to let Jason bask in a little glory. That was part of the fun.
"Mr. Clark, can we go faster?" asked a tiny voice timidly. Jason was looking up at him, and he nodded.
"Well, sure, but…hey…wait…what?" he stuttered. Did Jason catch on? It stunned him. If it was any other person like Lois, he would've asked who Clark was, but he was caught off guard by a six-year-old child!
"I said Mr. Clark can we go faster," repeated Jason, smiling. Clark was stunned for a second.
"I'm-I'm not Clark, I'm Superman," he said, trying to recover. Jason sighed and rolled his eyes in the cutest way possible.
"Suuure, you aren't. Mr. Kent," he muttered quietly, and Clark shot him as stern a look as was possible while trying not to smile.
"Well, I'm not. And what gave you that idea?" he asked, frustrated. Jason was quick! He was a lot like his mother…even though she hadn't caught on.
"Well, you look exactly like him, and I saw you without your glasses when I dropped the cup, and I knew," he said, "But don't worry, I won't tell mommy."
Clark couldn't help but grin. Having a little secret to share might bring them closer, and that was all he wanted with his son.
"Alright, you caught me," he said in his best guilty voice. Jason giggled and kicked his feet at the quiet city under them.
"So can you pick me up from school everyday?"
Okay, it isn't the greatest chapter, but I can't rush the plot. I just needed to introduce a new character, Rachel Jennings. The next chapter will be better, please be nice in your reviews, but tell me what I do wrong.
