Clark stopped running to stare at the main road leading into Gotham City. It was crumpled, torn, as though a petulant giant had picked it up, twisted and squeezed it, then carelessly dropped it. A long, jagged slab stood almost straight up, the forces of the natural world creating their own monolith to mark the destruction of the city's skyscrapers.
Biting his lip and trying to block the sounds, he ran the rest of the way to Wayne Manor, often jumping over the cars that lay skewed on the street or piles of debris. Alfred, drained and red-eyed, met them at the door.
"Downstairs, gentlemen." Clark had seen Alfred amused, scolding, warm, and occasionally inscrutable, but never looking so worn. While Lex was still a bit green-faced and unsteady from the run--though at least he didn't look like he was going to hurl this time--he noticed it, too and exchanged a quick, worried look with Clark.
"Nothing's working, dammit!" They could hear Bruce Wayne's voice raised in helpless rage and then a thud as though something had just gotten kicked.
"What's the plan?" Clark asked.
"Try to stop people from dying," was the terse answer, though Clark sensed that the anger wasn't directed at him, or the others in the room, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman. "The fire trucks and ambulances are blocked, and there are maybe three-quarters of a million people trapped."
Ice came in with Black Canary, and they listened, bleakly, to Bruce's quick summary of the situation.
"How are we triaging?" Black Canary asked.
"Without information, we can't. All the cell towers are down, the cameras we've got in the city are all knocked out, and none of the stations are broadcasting. I've got medical supplies here, Aqua and Plastic are assembling them now into emergency kits."
"Here's a possibility." Clark looked over at Lex, who really wasn't that green any more, as his older brother continued. "Could we send out, say, Flash, Clark, and Robin, in the glider, to do a quick survey of the situations with the most people in danger, then come back and dispatch whoever's most suited to that particular location?"
"Might I suggest that Master Clark just do the preliminary survey? He does have speed but is unfamiliar with landmarks and street names and we might need his abilities for rescues. He might also be much faster at preparing emergency kits than the rest of us."
Bruce nodded. "Good. Robin, you take everything north of the cathedral, Flash, you south. Everybody else, let's help Aquaman and Plastic with the kits." With a quick smile he clapped Lex on the shoulder as he moved to follow. "Nope, Lex, you're our coordinator. Alfred will help you get anything you need."
"As detailed and large a map as you can find," Clark heard as he left with the others.
***
It was less than two minutes before everything was assembled into what Clark guessed were 350 or so kits. They filled the room but when he thought of how many people needed them, it seemed so paltry.
"Flash's back! Get back up here!" Alfred shouted and despite himself, Clark had to grin at the fact that instead of announcing Flash's arrival and requesting their presence, Alfred shouted like a parent calling kids to dinner in the movies and on television.
"There are about 400 people trapped, but okay so far, in the Morton building. The roof fell through the floors but is still intact, it's even sheltering them. But they can't get out and the Insco tower looks ready to fall. If it does, it'll probably smash right through."
"Anybody in the Insco?" Diana asked.
Flash winced, "Not alive. It burnt pretty badly."
Lex nodded, thinking. "Ice, could you freeze the tower, encase it so it won't fall?"
"Can't say for certain but I can give it a shot."
"Take the other glider. Alfred's prepping it now. Anything else that looks ready to fall and do damage?"
"Maybe the KGC tower. There are people in the top floors but the stairs are all blocked. Maybe freezing the bottom would hold it steady."
"You know where the buildings are?" Ice nodded and ran out.
"What else is there?"
"A lot of people in the high rises on 17th. I couldn't see much but the one fire rescue team had a heat sensor and he said there were lots of people in there but they need to get to them soon, a lot of them are...losing heat. Blood loss or shock or dying."
"Clark, can you dig them out?"
He felt his throat clench but got out a "Yeah."
"How are the hospitals? Did you see any of those?"
"Morgan General is gone. Wayne Med looks like it lost power but it's pretty intact."
"Where is it on the map, in relation to 17th?"
Flash put a finger on the map. "This's 17th and Wayne's over here."
"I'll take kits since there is a rescue team there," Clark said, swiftly. Emergencies or no emergencies, coordinator or no coordinator, he still wasn't going to take an actual *order* from Lex if he could help it. With a mental "So there," he grabbed an armload and sped off.
Biting his lip and trying to block the sounds, he ran the rest of the way to Wayne Manor, often jumping over the cars that lay skewed on the street or piles of debris. Alfred, drained and red-eyed, met them at the door.
"Downstairs, gentlemen." Clark had seen Alfred amused, scolding, warm, and occasionally inscrutable, but never looking so worn. While Lex was still a bit green-faced and unsteady from the run--though at least he didn't look like he was going to hurl this time--he noticed it, too and exchanged a quick, worried look with Clark.
"Nothing's working, dammit!" They could hear Bruce Wayne's voice raised in helpless rage and then a thud as though something had just gotten kicked.
"What's the plan?" Clark asked.
"Try to stop people from dying," was the terse answer, though Clark sensed that the anger wasn't directed at him, or the others in the room, Flash, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman. "The fire trucks and ambulances are blocked, and there are maybe three-quarters of a million people trapped."
Ice came in with Black Canary, and they listened, bleakly, to Bruce's quick summary of the situation.
"How are we triaging?" Black Canary asked.
"Without information, we can't. All the cell towers are down, the cameras we've got in the city are all knocked out, and none of the stations are broadcasting. I've got medical supplies here, Aqua and Plastic are assembling them now into emergency kits."
"Here's a possibility." Clark looked over at Lex, who really wasn't that green any more, as his older brother continued. "Could we send out, say, Flash, Clark, and Robin, in the glider, to do a quick survey of the situations with the most people in danger, then come back and dispatch whoever's most suited to that particular location?"
"Might I suggest that Master Clark just do the preliminary survey? He does have speed but is unfamiliar with landmarks and street names and we might need his abilities for rescues. He might also be much faster at preparing emergency kits than the rest of us."
Bruce nodded. "Good. Robin, you take everything north of the cathedral, Flash, you south. Everybody else, let's help Aquaman and Plastic with the kits." With a quick smile he clapped Lex on the shoulder as he moved to follow. "Nope, Lex, you're our coordinator. Alfred will help you get anything you need."
"As detailed and large a map as you can find," Clark heard as he left with the others.
***
It was less than two minutes before everything was assembled into what Clark guessed were 350 or so kits. They filled the room but when he thought of how many people needed them, it seemed so paltry.
"Flash's back! Get back up here!" Alfred shouted and despite himself, Clark had to grin at the fact that instead of announcing Flash's arrival and requesting their presence, Alfred shouted like a parent calling kids to dinner in the movies and on television.
"There are about 400 people trapped, but okay so far, in the Morton building. The roof fell through the floors but is still intact, it's even sheltering them. But they can't get out and the Insco tower looks ready to fall. If it does, it'll probably smash right through."
"Anybody in the Insco?" Diana asked.
Flash winced, "Not alive. It burnt pretty badly."
Lex nodded, thinking. "Ice, could you freeze the tower, encase it so it won't fall?"
"Can't say for certain but I can give it a shot."
"Take the other glider. Alfred's prepping it now. Anything else that looks ready to fall and do damage?"
"Maybe the KGC tower. There are people in the top floors but the stairs are all blocked. Maybe freezing the bottom would hold it steady."
"You know where the buildings are?" Ice nodded and ran out.
"What else is there?"
"A lot of people in the high rises on 17th. I couldn't see much but the one fire rescue team had a heat sensor and he said there were lots of people in there but they need to get to them soon, a lot of them are...losing heat. Blood loss or shock or dying."
"Clark, can you dig them out?"
He felt his throat clench but got out a "Yeah."
"How are the hospitals? Did you see any of those?"
"Morgan General is gone. Wayne Med looks like it lost power but it's pretty intact."
"Where is it on the map, in relation to 17th?"
Flash put a finger on the map. "This's 17th and Wayne's over here."
"I'll take kits since there is a rescue team there," Clark said, swiftly. Emergencies or no emergencies, coordinator or no coordinator, he still wasn't going to take an actual *order* from Lex if he could help it. With a mental "So there," he grabbed an armload and sped off.